Even Consort De had backed down. Beauty Li, who had spoken up earlier, fell silent the moment the Empress glanced at her, shrinking like a quail and not daring to utter another word.
Yet she could not help feeling puzzled. Had she not heard that Her Majesty the Empress’s health had been worsening these past days?
Otherwise, how could the recent selection of consorts have been entrusted entirely to Noble Consort Lan and the Four Consorts?
Having been rebuked so bluntly, Noble Consort Lan’s smile faded. Her gaze seemed to drift over the Empress, splendidly dressed in regal finery, as though she wished to peer through her carefully made-up face and discern her true complexion.
No one knew better than she did what was wrong with the Empress’s health. During the selection, the Empress ought to have been too ill to hold herself up. How could she now appear so full of vigor, her bearing as commanding as it had been two or three years ago?
Where no one could see, the Empress’s fingernails dug deeply into her palm. She endured the discomfort in her body and continued to sit calmly upon her throne, her expression serene.
As they watched the Empress, so poised and majestic, everyone had their own thoughts. Yet without exception, no one dared make veiled remarks targeting the Eastern Palace again.
The older hands in the palace all knew the Empress’s temperament. Two or three years ago, who would have dared show her the slightest disrespect?
But then the Little Imperial Uncle of the Duke of Feng’s household had become the battle-tested and illustrious Great General Qi, and the political situation at court had shifted.
Over the past year, the Empress had also fallen ill. More importantly, there was His Majesty’s favor... Only then had the balance of power within the palace gradually begun to change.
The Crown Princess sat closest to the Empress. Moreover, she paid her respects to her mother-in-law frequently. Though nothing could be seen from the Empress’s expression, she did not believe that her mother-in-law had truly recovered.
She understood that the Empress was forcing herself to endure her illness rather than show weakness before the others.
But she did not understand why the Empress had been so merciless. Would that not only make Noble Consort Lan and Consort De resent the Eastern Palace even more?
Consort De in particular came from humble origins. The First and Second Princes had virtually no maternal family influence to rely on. Why not win her over and bring her into the Eastern Palace’s camp?
After all, Noble Consort Lan, born into the Chancellor’s household, and her Fourth Prince were their greatest enemies in the Eastern Palace, were they not?
Naturally, Shen Yanshui knew nothing of the Crown Princess’s thoughts—thoughts which, even in her eyes, would have seemed exceedingly naive.
She merely noticed again, with keen perception, that after the Empress looked toward her, the Empress’s breathing seemed to grow even more labored.
This time, she did not hesitate. Secretly, she sent a thread of her supernatural ability into the Empress’s body. Guiding it swiftly through the Empress from head to toe, she then withdrew it.
Her heart sank at once. The Empress’s condition... was not good.
Judging only by her present appearance, no one would have guessed how frail she truly was. The condition of her internal organs was not what it should have been for someone of her age; they had begun to weaken. This went far beyond mere exhaustion from overwork.
For the Empress, the best course now would be to consult the finest physician at once, take medicine, and rest while she recovered.
But given the current situation, the Empress likely could not afford to recuperate in peace. And at such an important public occasion, she could show weakness even less.
Her earlier probe with her supernatural ability had given Shen Yanshui a fairly clear understanding of the situation. There was no single problem with the Empress’s body; rather, for some unknown reason, her entire constitution was gradually deteriorating.
If the root cause could not be found, then her meager ability would not be enough to heal her completely.
Just then, Noble Consort Lan calmly lifted her wine cup, smiling as she said, “Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. This concubine offers a toast to Your Majesty the Empress. Calamus and realgar wine dispels poison and wards off misfortune. May Your Majesty recover soon—and may Your Majesty be merciful and magnanimous enough not to hold this concubine’s past offenses against her.”
Shen Yanshui glanced at Noble Consort Lan, whose smile bloomed as brightly as a flower. Like Consort De, she appeared to be using the toast to humble herself and show weakness, yet Shen Yanshui could not shake the feeling that she was up to no good.
Calamus and realgar wine was warming in nature. It could warm the channels, dispel cold and dampness, clear phlegm, and calm the mind to aid sleep. Ordinarily, even someone somewhat frail would benefit from drinking it. But for the Empress, in her present condition, that might not be the case...
After Noble Consort Lan spoke, she gave a meaningful glance. Beauty Li and Lady Shen, seated beside her, immediately raised their cups with smiles and said respectfully, “This concubine also offers a toast to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty recover soon, and may you enjoy lasting joy and peace.”
Seeing this, the others also raised their cups in succession and toasted the Empress. “May Your Majesty enjoy peace and good health this Dragon Boat Festival, and lasting joy and peace.”
Shen Yanshui frowned. Noble Consort Lan had backed the Empress into a corner; it seemed she had no choice but to drink.
Sure enough, the Empress calmly lifted her cup with a smile...
With a silent sigh, Shen Yanshui summoned her ability and instantly sent its power into the Empress’s meridians, organs, and limbs.
The moment the wine entered her stomach, Shen Yanshui could clearly sense, through her ability, the tension that seized the Empress’s entire body. Yet to the naked eye, the Empress still wore the same composed smile, without the slightest sign of anything amiss.
The Empress absolutely could not collapse—not on a day like this. Shen Yanshui still hoped to continue living safely and peacefully in the Eastern Palace.
But her ability was still too weak. In order to help the Empress hold on, she had used nearly two-thirds of her power before finally stopping.
She needed to conserve what remained, so that she could ensure her own safety under any circumstances.
At her side, Lady Zhang set down her wine cup and suddenly asked softly, “Sister Shen, are you feeling unwell?”
The change in Shen Yanshui’s complexion was not especially obvious, but she was visibly less spirited, like an eggplant wilted by frost.
Shen Yanshui touched her stomach with one hand and replied with a smile, “Thank you for your concern, Sister Zhang. I’m merely a little hungry.” Hungry enough to eat an entire cow in one sitting.
As she spoke, her hand reached for one of the rice dumplings laid out beside her.
The Empress clenched her wine cup tightly, unable to conceal the astonishment in her heart.
What was going on?
A warm breeze had swept across the pond just moments ago, and it was as though that breeze had blown away the chronic affliction within her. Her body had not felt this light in a very long time. Even her breathing had become much easier, no longer pulling at her internal organs and causing pain.
She could not help lowering her eyes to the wine cup in her hand.
“This wine...”
Noble Consort Lan’s eyes deepened slightly as she put on a look of concern. “What’s wrong with the wine? Is Her Majesty the Empress feeling unwell? Shall we summon the imperial physicians at once to examine her?”
The Crown Princess could not help frowning.
The Empress glanced at Noble Consort Lan. Once she was feeling better, even the face of someone she had previously found hateful seemed far more pleasing to her. For once, a genuine smile appeared on her lips.
“I believe your prayers may have come true, Consort. Just now, I was feeling somewhat unwell, but after drinking this cup of wine, I feel light and refreshed all over.”
Noble Consort Lan: “…”
Could it be that the Empress had truly recovered?
She immediately rejected the thought. Impossible!
Then what, exactly, had gone wrong?
Lady Shen: “...?”
She could not help stealing a glance at the Empress, who looked radiant with health.
In her previous life, the Crown Princess had miscarried. Even after the culprit was eventually identified, the Empress had fallen ill because of it. Less than half a year later, she had passed away.
Lady Shen suspected that it was the Crown Princess’s miscarriage and the resulting damage to her health—which made it difficult for her to conceive again—that had dealt the Empress such a devastating blow, ultimately leaving her bedridden and unable to recover.
She looked toward the Crown Princess again. Seeing no movement from her, she instead caught sight of her younger half-sister eating as though she had been starved for years.
Lady Shen’s brows drew together slightly.
Just as she was praying that no one would notice her half-sister, she heard the brief, mocking giggle of the Fourth Prince’s Secondary Consort.
“Oh my, could it be that Her Highness the Crown Princess didn’t give Lady Shen enough to eat? Heavens above, how did she end up looking so famished?”
Lady Shen: “...”
Not only had she embarrassed the Eastern Palace, she had also brought shame upon the Earl Zhongyi’s household!
Shen Yanshui lifted her eyes. She was elegantly finishing her ninth little zongzi, entirely ignoring the meaningful gazes directed at her from every side. Only after swallowing it did she take an unhurried sip of tea, then turn toward the Empress with an expression of apparent confusion.
Her brows were like spring mountains, and her peach-blossom face now held a hint of bashfulness. In a sincere tone, she said, “I hope I haven’t made a spectacle of myself before Your Majesty. I was just thinking that these zongzi were gifts from His Majesty and Her Majesty. If I left them uneaten, wouldn’t that be wasting their kindness?”
Her cheeks flushed like the rosy clouds of dawn as she continued timidly, “As it happened, I was feeling a little peckish, so I ate a couple more. This is my first time attending such an occasion, and I didn’t understand the rules. I never realized that one wasn’t supposed to eat too many of these zongzi. I hope Your Majesty will be gracious and not punish me.”
The proud, disdainful expression on Secondary Consort Liao’s face changed at once.
The Empress glanced sideways at her, a smile spreading across her face. “Since these zongzi have been bestowed upon you, you may naturally eat as many as you like. An appetite is a blessing. If they are not enough, I have more here.”
As she spoke, she instructed the palace maid attending her to give Shen Yanshui the zongzi on the table beside her.
Someone chimed in with a laugh, “Precisely. These are gifts from His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress. By eating more, aren’t you simply taking all that good fortune into your belly? These nine-seed zongzi are sure to help Lady Shen conceive a child soon.”
Shen Yanshui froze for a moment before realizing that the “nine-seed zongzi” carried the auspicious implication of praying for children. She could not help feeling rather speechless.
Yet there was nothing she could explain. She merely rose, curtsied, and said with a smile, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
The Crown Princess cast her a sidelong glance, a chill glinting in her eyes.
Having failed to gain any advantage, Secondary Consort Liao was given a fierce glare by Noble Consort Lan. Her face turned pale, and she lowered her head, secretly biting her lip.
That Shen Yanshui was good for nothing but eating—a complete fool—yet she had somehow entered the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace and even won his favor. What outrageously good luck!
*
“Father Emperor! Is the dragon boat race about to begin?” The ten-year-old Ninth Prince, delicate-featured and still carrying a touch of baby fat in his cheeks, asked excitedly as he looked toward Emperor Pingkang on the throne.
The Eighth Prince, seated beside him, curled his lips in private. Before Emperor Pingkang could answer, he said in a teasing tone, “Little Ninth is right. The dragon boat regatta is about to begin. This is your first time attending, so be sure to watch carefully. Then you can go back and tell the younger princes in the palace all about the excitement.”
The Ninth Prince was born to Beauty Li. Although Beauty Li belonged to Noble Consort Lan’s circle—the mother of the Eighth Prince—the Eighth Prince still could not stand this younger brother, who was so skilled at acting cute and currying favor with their father.
Little Ninth continued to beam. “Eighth Brother is right. In past years, I could only hear about such a grand occasion from the palace maids and eunuchs, catching merely a glimpse of its liveliness through their descriptions. Only under Father Emperor’s rule, in such a peaceful and prosperous age, could an event of this scale be held.”
“Thanks to Father Emperor’s grace, I now have the chance to witness such excitement with my own eyes. I am truly thrilled. My elder brothers must not laugh at me.”
As he spoke, a hint of bashfulness appeared on his still-round, childlike face.
At once, Emperor Pingkang broke into laughter.
When he had finished laughing, he said, “Little Ninth is becoming more and more clever.” With great interest, he began explaining things to him personally.
“The men competing in the dragon boat race are the finest soldiers selected from among the eight upper and middle divisions of the Great Yong Imperial Guard, including the Shenwu Army. Watch carefully, Little Ninth, and guess which team will win the championship. If you guess correctly, I shall reward you handsomely!”
“Thank—” Little Ninth had barely spoken a single word when the Eighth Prince cut him off.
“Father Emperor, you cannot be so partial as to reward only Ninth Brother. The Dragon Martial Army wins almost every year—there is hardly any suspense at all. Since you are asking Ninth Brother to guess, why not change the rules of the contest this year? What does Father Emperor think?”
The Dragon Martial Army had the strictest selection process, and the finest batch of Imperial Guards were said to be gathered there. Thus, they won the championship nearly every year and received the Emperor’s rewards. Only on two rare occasions had another team managed to take the title.
Emperor Pingkang found it rather amusing that Little Eighth, who was usually so unruly, was competing for favor with Little Ninth, who was several years younger. “Then tell me—what sort of change do you have in mind?”
The Eighth Prince grinned shamelessly. “Every year, we simply sit here and watch. After seeing it so many times, it has become rather dull. Why not imitate the ancients and entertain Father Emperor in filial devotion? We sons can each join a different team in the race and see which team, under our leadership, can ultimately seize the championship. That would be far more interesting!”
The moment he finished speaking, the Fourth Prince, who shared the same mother as the Eighth Prince, smiled and said, “What Eighth Brother proposes does sound rather interesting.”
With that, he looked toward the Crown Prince and the First Prince seated above him and asked with a smile, “I only wonder whether His Highness the Crown Prince and Eldest Brother would be willing?”
Cui Yu arched a brow slightly.
The First Prince, whose build was noticeably broader and more powerfully built than that of ordinary men, agreed almost at once. “Why not? So long as it pleases Father Emperor, I am willing to do whatever is required.”
The Second Prince immediately echoed his assent.
Seeing his sons eagerly competing to please him, Emperor Pingkang was naturally in good spirits. He turned to the Crown Prince, who had yet to speak. “What does the Crown Prince think?”
Cui Yu rose to his feet, lowered his gaze, and bowed with clasped hands. His voice was cool and steady. “This son believes Eighth Brother’s proposal is excellent.”
“Good!” Emperor Pingkang laughed heartily. When his laughter subsided, he stroked his handsome beard beneath his chin. “Then today, I shall wait and see.”
Quite a few among the civil and military officials showed surprise.
At this moment, the Second Prince said with a smile, “Father Emperor, to make the competition more entertaining, may we sons freely select men from the various military units and form new teams?”
The Eighth Prince glanced at the Crown Prince and promptly added, “Second Brother is right. Otherwise, whoever leads the Dragon Martial Guard will surely come first. Then whether the rest of us participate or not would make little difference.”
The Vice Censor-in-Chief immediately frowned. Distinctions of rank could not be ignored; it was only proper for the Crown Prince to have the first choice of team. Was the Eighth Prince not deliberately targeting the Crown Prince with these words?
If the Crown Prince lost, would he not be utterly humiliated before the civil and military court officials, as well as the people of the capital?
As the Crown Prince’s father-in-law, his position naturally lay with the Crown Prince. Moreover, the Crown Prince was the legitimate heir of the Empress’s palace, so there was all the more reason for concern.
With a stern expression, he was just about to rise and speak when he caught sight of the old Duke Fengguo, seated at the head of the military officials. The old duke was calmly sipping his wine, seemingly not the least bit worried for the Crown Prince. After only a moment’s thought, the Vice Censor-in-Chief sat back down.
Since even the old Duke Fengguo was not anxious, he might as well wait and see.
Cui Yu lifted his eyes. His expression remained composed, and his tone was equally mild. “Eighth Brother makes a valid point. Since ancient times, rank has its proper distinctions, and age its proper order. But as today is meant to entertain our father in filial devotion, let us set rank aside and proceed according to age. Eldest Brother, please make your selection first.”
Emperor Pingkang was inwardly pleased. Since the palace selection, the Crown Prince had become increasingly sensible. “We shall proceed as the Crown Prince has said.”
The Eighth Prince was immediately choked with frustration. He had not even finished speaking! Yet in the end, Eldest Brother had gained the advantage.
But his father had already spoken, so he could only swallow the rest of his words.
The prospect of having the princes personally lead their teams and compete in the dragon-boat race stirred mixed feelings among the civil and military officials. As for the soldiers and guards who would be taking part, they were variously nervous, excited, exhilarated, flustered, and at a loss.
*
The blazing sun poured down in countless golden rays. Though an occasional breeze swept over the water, Shen Yanshui could see the people beside her beginning to fan themselves with round silk fans.
Just then, the noblewomen and ladies heard some unusual commotion coming from the Waterside Hall. They could not help but turn their eyes in that direction.
The moment they looked, gasps could be heard from time to time.
Shen Yanshui, sharp-eared, caught someone’s astonished exclamation.
“Is that… the Eighth Prince? The Sixth Prince and Seventh Prince? Why have they boarded the dragon boats? And changed into sleeveless tunics?”
“Look—His Highness the Crown Prince and the other princes have changed clothes as well…”
Shen Yanshui had keen eyesight and could already clearly make out the Crown Prince and several princes dressed in sleeveless, open-front vests of different colors, each simply belted at the waist with a sash in a matching shade.
The Crown Prince wore black trimmed in red. It had to be said—it gave him a particularly striking air…
Many soldiers stood nearby, dressed in the same fashion, their figures straight and spirited. They, too, were an arresting sight.
While the ladies were still expressing their surprise, a eunuch arrived from the Waterside Hall to report to the Empress that the princes would each lead a team in the dragon boat race. He further announced, “By His Majesty’s verbal decree, all Your Highnesses and ladies are invited to guess this year’s winner. Whoever guesses correctly shall be richly rewarded by His Majesty.”
Once the eunuch had left, the women immediately broke into hushed, excited chatter. The Empress smiled.
“His Majesty wants us to make our guesses freely. If you guess correctly, I shall have a reward as well. Let this phoenix-head hairpin serve as today’s prize.”
Consort Shu, who had said little until then, spoke with a gentle smile. “Her Majesty is right. This warm white-jade bracelet was bestowed upon me by His Majesty; I shall offer it as a prize today as well.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Noble Consort Lan, the other consorts present, and the elder madams all smilingly contributed some rare trinket of their own. Yet none of them ventured a guess as to which prince would win, leaving such matters to the younger generation.
At the sight of several trays overflowing with dazzling jewelry, Shen Yanshui felt her eyes nearly blinded by the glitter.
As someone from the Eastern Palace, she naturally had to bet on the Crown Prince. Accordingly, she placed the tourmaline bracelet the Crown Prince had bestowed upon her among the stakes.
“Those are top-quality pink tourmalines. Lady Shen is truly willing to put them up as a prize?”
Secondary Consort Liao of the Fourth Prince, seated some distance away, remarked in a faintly mocking tone when she saw what Shen Yanshui had done.
“If it is to be a prize, then naturally one ought to offer something fine,” Shen Yanshui replied with a radiant smile.
Secondary Consort Liao curled her lip disdainfully, though she could not quite suppress her bitterness. Back at the Palace of Cultivated Elegance, Shen Yanshui had possessed no pink tourmalines of such quality. The bracelet must have been a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince.
Then the First Prince’s Consort, seated ahead of them, suddenly turned her eyes toward Shen Yanshui with a smile. “Oh? It seems Lady Shen has great confidence in His Highness the Crown Prince. Do you believe the Crown Prince will certainly claim the prize?”
Shen Yanshui: “…?”
The Crown Princess and Lady Zhang had also wagered on the Crown Prince. Why was she the only one being questioned?
She put on an expression of shy devotion and admiration, then answered bashfully, “In this concubine’s heart, His Highness the Crown Prince has always been accomplished in both letters and martial arts, and no one could be more valiant. Naturally, this concubine believes in His Highness.”
She had seen clearly enough just now. Of all the princes, only the First Prince was somewhat more powerfully built than the Crown Prince. The rest looked like frail scholars who could barely lift a chicken, without even the slightest definition in their arms. They surely could not compare to the Crown Prince.
As for the other contestants, since the princes had chosen their own teams, the outcome would most likely depend on how well these hastily assembled crews worked together.
She still had quite a bit of faith in the Crown Prince. And even if she did not, in a situation like this, she had to uphold his dignity, didn’t she?
The crowd looked at her peach-blossom face, flushed with shy sweetness, and listened to what sounded very much like a declaration of devotion to the Crown Prince. For a moment, no one knew what to say.
The younger ladies, meanwhile, found Lady Shen’s words rather embarrassing to hear in such a setting.
The Eldest Prince’s Consort, whose mind was full of love and romance, found the whole thing unbearably cloying and suddenly lost all interest in continuing the conversation.
But the Crown Princess was somewhat displeased. “Didn’t you also wager on Eldest Brother winning, Sister-in-law?” she said coolly. If those of the Eastern Palace did not bet on the Crown Prince, were they supposed to bet on someone else?
As for the final outcome, she only hoped that even if the Crown Prince failed to win, he would not lose too disgracefully. Otherwise, she would be humiliated along with him—and subjected to the veiled mockery of her fellow sisters-in-law.
“The Crown Princess is right. I spoke out of turn,” the Eldest Prince’s Consort said with a smile, offering a casual reply and arguing no further.
Seeing this, Shen Yanshui breathed a sigh of relief and turned her eager gaze back toward the Crown Prince’s side.
For some reason, however, Shen Yanshui’s exceedingly lovestruck remark was relayed by a eunuch to the Emperor. At once, the Emperor cast a meaningful look at the Crown Prince, who remained calm and solemn-faced.
The Eighth Prince could not help asking with a grin, “What amusing news has Father Emperor heard? Might Your son be allowed to join in the entertainment as well?”
Emperor Pingkang glanced at the Crown Prince again, a smile curling at his lips. “It is nothing much. I merely heard the Eastern Palace’s Lady Shen say a few words just now, and found them rather amusing. If I remember correctly, Lady Shen is the daughter of Earl Zhongyi’s household? She has a remarkably forthright nature.”
The dignified and stern Earl Zhongyi, seated below, looked somewhat surprised. Rising to his feet, he bowed and said, “Your Majesty overpraises her. She is indeed my daughter.”
Cui Yu’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He glanced at Earl Zhongyi, who was modestly accepting the praise, and for some reason felt a faint sense of foreboding.
The Eighth Prince and the other princes: “???”
At Emperor Pingkang’s cheerful gesture, a nearby eunuch proceeded to repeat Shen Yanshui’s words.
Of course, his duty was not solely to relay the words of this Lady of the Eastern Palace. At regular intervals, eunuchs would report every detail of what was happening among the female relatives to the chief eunuch at Emperor Pingkang’s side.
Chief Eunuch Cheng had only mentioned this particular matter because he found it amusing and thought it might entertain the Emperor.
Earl Zhongyi: “...”
In that instant, he was so mortified that he wanted to beat that loose-tongued, unfilial daughter of his to death.
Cui Yu remained composed and expressionless, giving those eager for a spectacle nothing to see.
The Eighth Prince immediately burst out laughing. In a tone that was half teasing, half faintly sarcastic, he said, “I have always heard that His Highness the Crown Prince keeps women at a distance. Who would have thought he could inspire such affection in a young lady? Why not let us brothers witness His Highness’s peerless valor today?”
The others wore varying expressions.
The Sixth Prince smiled as he glanced first at his father, then at the utterly unruffled Crown Prince, his heart sinking slightly.
Recently, the relationship between Father Emperor and the Crown Prince had eased considerably.
The Fourth Prince looked rather disdainful and said nothing.
The Second Prince drawled with a broad grin, “Then that Lady Shen of His Highness the Crown Prince is in for a disappointment. When it comes to letters, we may not be able to beat His Highness, but when it comes to martial prowess, well, that remains to be seen.”
Cui Yu did not argue. He merely replied in an indifferent tone, “We’ll see.”
*
While the women chatted and laughed, the dragon boat race on the other side had already begun.
There were ten teams in all. From the First Prince to the Eighth Prince, seven princes each led a team—the blind Fifth Prince being the only one absent. The remaining three teams were made up of Imperial Guards who had been left over after the others were selected.
The drums thundered, flags snapped in the wind, and oars churned furiously as the lake roiled beneath them.
Cheers from the shore grew louder and louder.
Before long, the ten teams had sorted themselves into their positions. The First Prince’s dragon boat surged into the lead, followed closely by the Fourth Prince’s. The Crown Prince was third, followed by the Sixth Prince, the Eighth Prince, the Second Prince, and finally the Seventh Prince.
Jinming Lake had been expanded many times over by successive emperors. Its winding, elongated shape made it look almost like a natural lake, though its name had never been changed after the founding emperor gave it the name Jinming Lake.
The dragon boat race began from the eastern shore beside the Waterside Hall. The boats had to circle the entire lake before competing for the flag planted high above the water in front of the Waterside Hall.
“His Highness the First Prince really is in the lead!”
“The Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince are fast too!”
Shen Yanshui stared without blinking at the dragon boats speeding closer and closer, until the people aboard them gradually came into clear view.
She suddenly realized that not only the princes, but the Imperial Guards competing in the race were all remarkably good-looking as well.
Their features were handsome and their postures straight and vigorous. Especially beneath the golden sunlight, their arms—damp with either splashed lake water or sweat—strained as they drove the oars through the water. The sight practically radiated raw strength and masculine vitality!
For a moment, she was dazzled by the feast before her eyes. Wherever the dragon boats passed, waves of cheers rose from the nearest shore.
Just as she was secretly admiring the highly pleasing spectacle, she suddenly noticed that the Crown Prince seemed to glance in this direction.
It happened so quickly that she wondered if she had imagined it.
When Cui Yu drew nearest, he quickly spotted the person he had been looking for amid the crowd. But with a single glance, he saw her slender, fair neck craned forward as she watched other men with delight, her brows raised and her eyes smiling.
For some reason, Cui Yu’s mood instantly soured.
Shen Yanshui, however, had long since forgotten that brief glance. After carefully evaluating the view before her, she decided that the Crown Prince still had the best physique.
Not only was the Crown Prince her favorite kind of cool, pale-skinned beauty, but the muscle lines on his arms were also just right—unlike the exaggerated bulk of the First Prince and some of the Imperial Guards. They were perfectly proportioned, pleasing to the eye.
The First Prince did have muscles on his arms, but they were too bulky to be attractive. And he already had a paunch despite his young age. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, had six-pack abs, and they felt wonderful to the touch…
As for the other princes… most of them had the physiques of scrawny chickens, all soft flesh and no muscle—hardly anything worth looking at. Not to mention their faces. Though several of the princes were fairly handsome, standing beside the Crown Prince only made his exceptional looks shine all the more.
Then, from beside her came a soft, faintly envious murmur.
“Lady Shen must be greatly favored by His Highness the Crown Prince in private, mustn’t you?”
Shen Yanshui: “...?”
She glanced sideways at Secondary Consort Tang of the First Prince’s household, who had always seemed somewhat aloof, her expression full of puzzlement.
Secondary Consort Tang first looked at her face, then let her gaze drift downward. Her eyes paused, and the envy in her voice deepened—though this time, it was hard to tell whom exactly she envied.
“His Highness the Crown Prince usually appears so refined and scholarly. Who would have thought he was no less formidable than the commanders of the Imperial Guard? Lady Shen, you are fortunate.” As she spoke, she cast another glance at Shen Yanshui’s pale, soft, generously rounded bosom and added in a low voice, “His Highness the Crown Prince is fortunate as well…”
Shen Yanshui: “…………”
This time, there was no way she could pretend not to understand. Though… ahem, in that particular regard, the Crown Prince really was rather impressive.
