Sleeping soundly, Yao Huang suddenly felt the silk quilt lightly brushing against her skin.
It was a very brief movement. If she had been wearing her inner garments, it would have been hard to notice. However, the Crown Prince had acted on a sudden whim in the middle of the night. Afterward, Yao Huang was so exhausted and lazy that she didn't even want to lift a leg. She let the Crown Prince clean her up simply and then fell right back asleep. Afraid of disturbing her sweet slumber, the Crown Prince actually hadn't helped her put her inner garments back on.
In her hazy state of consciousness, Yao Huang realized the Crown Prince was sitting up.
Yao Huang woke up completely. She opened her eyes; it was still dark inside the bed curtains.
Yao Huang turned around, pressing herself against the back of the Crown Prince, who was already sitting on the edge of the bed. Hugging his waist, she asked, Is Your Highness going to relieve yourself?
Zhao Sui: ...Morning practice.
He would certainly relieve himself along the way, but that wasn't the real reason he got up so early.
Yao Huang paused, asking in confusion, Morning practice?
Zhao Sui held the Crown Princess's hand, lowering his eyes as he explained, My legs have only just recovered their mobility. If I want my martial arts to reach the level they were at four years ago, I need to start training again.
Excellence is born of diligence and ruined by indolence. Even a martial arts master cannot maintain their peak condition after slacking off for too long.
Zhao Sui liked reading and painting, but practicing martial arts was also something he enjoyed.
Yao Huang understood. She kissed the Crown Prince on the back, wrapped the quilt around herself, and lay back on her pillow, murmuring sleepily, Then practice well, Your Highness. I'll go back to sleep.
Zhao Sui stroked the Crown Princess's hair, put on his clothes, and left. He was going to the front courtyard to change into his training clothes, grab his spear, and... relieve himself.
Yao Huang listened until it was completely quiet outside before calling in Chunyan, who had kept the night watch. She asked, What time is it?
Chunyan: It is only half past the hour of Mao. There is no morning court assembly today; why did His Highness get up so early?
Yao Huang smiled. His Highness went to practice martial arts.
Chunyan immediately revealed a look of admiration.
Yao Huang also admired him. Her brothers at home practiced martial arts diligently to pass the military imperial examinations, and they continued to practice after getting jobs to hone their skills and strive for promotion. But what about the Crown Prince? He was below only one person and above tens of thousands. The knowledge and strategies in his mind were enough to secure his position as the heir apparent. Yet, this man still woke up before dawn for morning practice to restore his former mastery of both the pen and the sword.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Yao Huang also got out of bed. She washed her face, changed her clothes, simply pinned her hair up with a hairpin, and quietly went to the front courtyard alone without taking any maids.
The front courtyard was quiet, and there was no sign of the Crown Prince practicing there. At this moment, Feiquan spotted the Crown Princess hiding at the corner of the corridor and hurried over to greet her.
Yao Huang asked him, Where is His Highness?
Feiquan smiled. His Highness went to the Deer Garden to practice his spear. It's spacious there and far from here, so it won't disturb Your Highness and the young master's rest.
Yao Huang nodded, told him not to make a fuss, and headed toward the Deer Garden alone.
Qingai was guarding outside the Deer Garden's gate. The red sun was about to rise, and the sky was faintly bright. Listening to the whooshing sounds of the Crown Prince's spear piercing the air inside the garden, Qingai unconsciously began to practice a simple set of fist techniques. Just as he finished a punch and turned around, he was shocked to see the Crown Princess tiptoeing closer. Qingai was startled at first, then his face grew hot, and he quickly stood at attention...
Yao Huang made a shushing gesture just in time.
Qingai: ...
Once close enough, Yao Huang whispered, I just came to watch His Highness practice his spear. Pretend you don't know I'm here.
When the Crown Prince was doing his leg rehabilitation, his posture was ungraceful, so Yao Huang cooperatively refrained from peeking. But a martial-arts-practicing Crown Prince would only look heroic and dashing, so Yao Huang couldn't help but come and admire this other side of her husband.
Qingai was one of the Crown Prince's close attendants. If a little palace maid had come to peek at the Crown Prince, Qingai could have scared her to tears with a single glare. But the one peeking this morning was the Crown Princess. Qingai suddenly found himself in a dilemma. If he stopped her, this was the Crown Princess whom the Crown Prince held dear to his heart. If he didn't stop her, what if the Crown Prince didn't want the Crown Princess to see his spear skills before they had returned to their peak...
Qingai looked at the Crown Princess pleadingly, hoping she wouldn't make things difficult for him.
Yao Huang reassured him, Don't worry, I promise His Highness won't blame you afterward.
Qingai could only be half-relieved. Although he believed the Crown Princess had the ability to coax the Crown Prince, he understood better than her what it meant that accompanying a monarch was like accompanying a tiger.
The Crown Prince that the Crown Princess saw was always as gentle as jade. Only close attendants like them knew that back when the Crown Prince was secluded in the Bamboo Courtyard with no desire to go out, he could dispose of Huamei, who had vainly attempted to sow discord between the royal couple, with just a single light sentence.
The awe-inspiring majesty of the royal family was inviolable. Perhaps one day in the future, if he made a mistake and angered the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince would add today's minor offense of letting the Crown Princess peek unauthorized to his punishment.
Unfortunately, although Qingai had a cautious heart, he didn't dare to truly stop the Crown Princess. He could only suppress his anxiety and step aside.
As for Yao Huang, she was just here to watch her husband's morning practice. Why did she need to worry so much? If the Crown Prince really punished Qingai, with whom he shared a deep bond, over such a trivial matter, then Yao Huang would have to seriously reconsider how to get along with the Crown Prince in the future.
Bypassing Qingai, Yao Huang quietly approached the wooden gate of the Deer Garden.
The lower part of the double wooden doors was made of solid hardwood panels, while the upper part, level with Yao Huang's shoulders and neck, featured openwork carvings. Yao Huang hid behind the solid part of the door panel and peeked inside through the carved holes.
There was a spacious lawn in the middle of the Deer Garden. The Crown Prince stood on the central path, holding a ten-foot-long precious spear. The spear shaft was as black as ink, and the spearhead faintly gleamed in the dim morning light.
When Yao Huang looked over, the Crown Prince was facing her sideways. His pace was unhurried, perfectly matching his gentle spear movements, and in line with the elegant and refined Crown Prince that Yao Huang was used to.
Suddenly, the Crown Prince turned the tip of his spear, and his narrow phoenix eyes shot toward her like a falcon's.
Yao Huang was pinned to the spot by this unfamiliar and sharp gaze.
Through the carved openwork window, Zhao Sui recognized those familiar round eyes. He was also startled inwardly, and he softened his expression while retracting his spear.
He had thought the Crown Princess would push the door open and enter, but unexpectedly, she shrank her head back and hid behind the door.
Hearing no retreating footsteps, Zhao Sui paused and walked toward the gate.
Pushing open half of the door, Zhao Sui didn't look at Qingai, who appeared in his peripheral vision on the other side, but directly looked at the Crown Princess standing against the wall on his right.
Yao Huang was still experiencing lingering trepidation and didn't dare to look at him.
Only then did Zhao Sui look at Qingai.
Qingai understood implicitly and hurriedly retreated to a place where the Crown Prince and Crown Princess absolutely could not see him.
Zhao Sui held the Crown Princess's hand, led her into the garden, and closed the door. Then, he brought her to the base of the wall on one side. As he propped the spear in his hand against the wall, he explained, Just now, I didn't know the person peeking at the door was you.
Yao Huang pouted and shot him a resentful glance. Besides me, who else in the Eastern Palace would have the courage to come and peek at Your Highness's morning practice? Your Highness knew it was me all along, but you couldn't even tolerate me, which is why you were so fierce.
Zhao Sui pulled her into his arms and stroked her head. Don't talk nonsense. When I left, you clearly looked like you could fall asleep at any moment.
The training clothes on the Crown Prince looked flowing, but were actually quite loose. As soon as Yao Huang hugged him, she could distinctly feel his lean and strong waistline. She tightened her arms as if unintentionally, pressing closer to his chest, which was heaving noticeably after his spear practice. She hummed, I was originally very sleepy, but the thought of Your Highness's majestic figure practicing the spear woke me right up. I would rather brave the dark of night to rush over just to catch a glimpse of your magnificent presence.
Zhao Sui: ...
Glancing at the touch of crimson dawn already appearing on the eastern horizon, Zhao Sui silently accepted the Crown Princess's claim of braving the dark of night. Recalling the few spear moves he had just performed, Zhao Sui said, I am only just getting used to holding the spear again. Where is the magnificent presence in that?
Yao Huang tilted her head up, looking at the Crown Prince's handsome face, and said, As long as Your Highness stands there, in my eyes, you are the most dazzling presence in the world.
Zhao Sui covered the Crown Princess's sparkling eyes.
The corners of the Crown Princess's mouth curled up high, and she asked him, Is Your Highness angry with me for peeking?
Zhao Sui: No. Next time you want to watch, just come straight in.
Yao Huang: Then will Your Highness be angry at Qingai for letting me through? Just now, he didn't want to let me pass but didn't dare to stop me. His face went completely pale.
Zhao Sui: If he had stopped you, that would be him not knowing the rules.
Yao Huang couldn't help but stand on her tiptoes, holding the Crown Prince's hand that still covered her eyes as she leaned closer to him.
The Crown Princess's invitation couldn't be more obvious, and there was no one else around. Zhao Sui glanced at a doe in the deer enclosure that had somehow approached the fence and was looking their way, before finally lowering his head to press against the Crown Princess's rosy lips.
After kissing for a while, Yao Huang asked, How much longer is Your Highness going to practice?
The Crown Prince's hand moved slightly on the Crown Princess's waist. He turned his head and said, It is only the first day. Stopping here is fine.
Yao Huang: Don't. Practice a little longer. I haven't seen enough yet.
Zhao Sui: ...Alright.
There were benches in the deer park, but it was too dark over there. Yao Huang glanced at the top of the wall behind her, which was already bathed in the morning sunlight, and smiled as she asked the Crown Prince to lift her up onto it.
Zhao Sui: Won't the top of the wall be too cold?
Yao Huang took a look at him and nodded, The stone is definitely cold. How about Your Highness takes off your shirt for me to sit on? You make big movements when practicing the spear anyway, so you won't get cold without a shirt.
The Crown Prince fell silent.
Yao Huang: My father and brother always train bare-chested at home. I have long been used to it.
Zhao Sui looked into the Crown Princess's eyes: Your father and brother are family. But have you ever seen an outside man practice martial arts bare-chested?
Yao Huang stopped talking and turned around, intending to jump onto the wall herself.
Zhao Sui held the Crown Princess's waist, pressing her against the wall. Pinning her hands, he asked, Have you?
Yao Huang blushed but said without a guilty conscience, I have. In the past, when I went to the martial arts academy to watch my brother and the others play polo, a group of young men would take off their shirts and throw them on the ground whenever they got hot. If I really had to count, I have seen at least a hundred, if not a thousand, bare chests of outside men. However, those were all ordinary mortals. I have yet to see a prince practice martial arts bare-chested. Will Your Highness open my eyes now?
Zhao Sui remained silent for a moment, then turned the Crown Princess around, keeping her pressed against the wall. Staring straight at the rough texture of the wall in front of him, he said, Take it off for me.
He was pressing against her so tightly that it was inconvenient for Yao Huang to tilt her head up to check the Crown Prince's expression. But since the Crown Prince asked her to help him undress, Yao Huang was more than happy to oblige.
Holding back a smile, Yao Huang raised her arms from the sides and very solemnly helped the Crown Prince untie his clothes.
The Crown Prince's legs still needed more training to regain the strength they had before his injury, but after sitting in a wheelchair for nearly four years, his shoulders and chest were even more solid than before. Facing such a fair and robust physique directly in broad daylight in the courtyard for the first time, Yao Huang's heart pounded more forcefully, and a blush naturally crept up her cheeks, which were shielded from the morning light by the Crown Prince.
Gently patting the chest in front of her, Yao Huang said shyly, Done. Go ahead, Your Highness.
Zhao Sui: I will help you up first.
Yao Huang cooperatively turned around.
The Crown Prince's right hand indeed supported her waist, but his left hand covered her mouth without any warning.
Yao Huang: ...
Having seen the bare chests of so many young men, the Crown Prince was absolutely the first person who dared to press her against the wall and bully her!
