In late spring as peach and plum blossoms bloomed across the hills, chaotic red petals carpeted the land.
After a light rain, the mountains emerged refreshed beneath warming skies and lengthening days. The Crown Prince’s procession exited the Eastern Palace, turning towards the Northern Forbidden Hunting Grounds and its royal hunting estate.
Flowers lined the palace route, petals drifting down to blanket the carriage top. A breeze stirred, rolling immaculate white apricot blossoms off the edges to pour inside the carriage and all over its occupant by the window.
Who remained blithely oblivious, cupping a brazier beneath a fleecy blanket with eyes gently shut, head pillowed on the shoulder of the girl beside him, sound asleep.
The girl brushed petals off him before sighing softly, turning to gaze at the verdantly hazy distant mountains through the window.
“What’s wrong?” He opened his eyes.
“Just thinking,” she murmured, lightly bumping her cheek to his.
“Missing your family?” He ruffled her hair. “The main forces should have reached Huai Xi by now. Continuous reports of smooth progress so don’t worry.”
“Last autumn’s hunt was much livelier… Things quieted abruptly this year,” she said softly.
“Next year will be lively again,” he promised, kissing her hair. Abruptly recalling something he chuckled under his breath. “I remember during the autumn hunt your Third Brother insisted on challenging me to a duel.”
“And you happily fought him to a draw,” she glared at him.
After a pause she laughed. “At home in Bai Ling, San Ge’s letters complain our elders drill him harshly. Perhaps now he can truly fight you evenly.”
“Impossible,” he scoffed almost indignantly.
She teased “Such pridefulness.”
Curiously she then asked “I’ve never seen you fight with all your strength… After you recover, can you show me one day?”
Nuzzling into his shoulder she added wistfully “I want someone to spar with.”
He laughed once. “Gladly.” Ducking his head for a kiss he promised “We’ll train together in future.”
Around noon the Crown Prince’s entourage arrived at the spring hunt estate’s center grounds. The prince and princess consort disembarked their ornate carriage to politely greet each attending noble and minister. After all amenities the hunting parties scattered across various mountain forests.
Amidst the late spring woods, brooks babbled under dappled sunlight filtering through swaying leaves to litter the vibrant meadows in dazzling golden shards. Varied wild blossoms mixed freely within lush grasses as squirrels darted past, the occasional glimpse of deer hooves pressing swift and dainty tracks into the soft earth.
Holding his reins slackly Xie Wuyang turned in the saddle upon his horse. Accepting a bamboo-backed bow he nocked a long-tailed arrow, faintly narrowing his eyes with slender fingers smoothly drawing to loose towards the dense forest.
A long deer’s cry echoed out as the guards hastened deeper to retrieve the quarry.
Jiang Kui cocked her head, eyeing him curiously. “You know archery too?”
“How could I not know archery?” He huffed, somewhat miffed. “Jiang Xiaoman, to think you’d underestimate me so.”
Her lips curved slightly. “What other talents lie hidden that I’m unaware of?”
He glanced aside for a beat before bestowing a gentle smile. “This too.”
Abrupt winds swept their fluttering sleeves skywards bearing wisps of sweet floral fragrance. He suddenly leaned over to brace her before him on his saddle, one arm encircling her willowy waist, the other firmly guiding his horse out into a gallop.
Beneath the sharp crystalline sunlight the white stallion whinnied aloud, hooves gliding over vibrant blossoms scattered far as the eye could see, skimming bubbling streams. Trails of chaotic red churned up in their wake as a rain of flowers poured from the skies behind them.
He reined beneath snapping banners as servants approached. Dismounting, he carried her towards the waiting pavilion.
Heavy curtains noiselessly fell over the entryway. Within, a cloisonne brazier wafted a sandalwood aroma. Gently laying her over the recliner he gave faint pants, laughter by her ear. “My lady, shall we test what else I can do?”
Even as he spoke his kiss descended fiercely.
Their gasping breaths swiftly tangled together, the spontaneous kiss turning rather disordered. March winds swept the hunting grounds, stirring the swaying curtains. Farther off, peach blossoms unfurled for ten miles in vivid red.
“Jiang Xiaoman…” he whispered raggedly against her. “I cannot bear parting from you anymore.”
She encircled his neck, brushing her lips over his lashes before pressing both shoulders. “It’s time. You should go.”
He turned for another deep kiss, clutching her tightly to him with one hand while the other yanked his lapel open to strip off the outer robe before reluctantly drawing back. Snatching a replacement round-collared robe off a stand he tossed it on hastily.
Parting the curtains by a slit Jiang Kui peered outside gauging the light. “Little Bai spread word you have a business meeting by North Pavilion Bridge during the third quarter mark of the hour. Going now you’ll arrive punctually.”
“I’ll leave things here to you then, wife,” he inclined his head. “Maintain appearances that I haven’t left.”
“Hopefully we can lure out White Head,” she murmured.
“After revealing myself in Huai Xi he likely suspects my alternate identity as that broker Willow and Reeds Gentleman,” he affirmed while changing his looks. “I’m out hunting yet that same broker emerges in the city so he’ll surely hesitate, sending people to investigate.”
“By tracing these clues perhaps we can uncover something,” he said, drawing up his hood. After stealing another swift kiss he reminded softly, “It’ll trouble you holding court here… People will likely probe about my presence.”
“I understand,” she nodded.
Bending, he lifted the tent flap and noiselessly exited the pavilion.
Inside, only the crackling brazier remained. Faint hoofbeats sounded not too far off mixed with indistinct bird calls.
She turned and grabbed the abandoned scarlet surcoat left on the recliner, tugging it over herself as she slowly got dressed, disguising as him.
His clothes carried a potent sandalwood fragrance dashed with the barest hint of wintry plum, enveloping her in warmth and softness. Seated before the enameled brazier in his robes she smiled silently, reminiscing upon their earlier frantic and chaotic kiss.
Winds stirred. Winds faded.
The sunlight crept steadily across the skies inch by inch until finally sinking between mountains. Fiery clouds extinguished and vibrant stars emerged, luminous streams pouring over fallen petals in the grassy plains like glittering ivory.
Within the dripping water clocks each stretching minute of their half day separation proved nearly unendurable.
Inside the darkened pavilion the girl lingered by the window gazing outward for his return. Dewdrops glistened under the starlight on rustling leaves outside, scattering intermittent flashes over the grasslands. A stirring breeze seemed to kick up the very stars themselves, leaving her blinking.
“What might Her Highness be waiting for?” An amused voice sounded right by her ear, its teasing lilt unmistakable.
She whirled in shock but before she could react, a kiss swiftly silenced her mouth.
Bracing both elbows against the windowsill he leaned down, kissing her deeply for a long moment.
Starshine cascaded over their bent forms, splitting them in half shadow and half light. Ensconced in this seam he silently kissed her.
The mingled fragrance on her borrowed robes blended intoxicatingly with his, like the stirring of winds through them. In an instant it swept all sense and reason away, leaving only this lingering gentle kiss suspended in time.
After an eternity he finally drew back slightly to smile at her, the barest soft laughter escaping him.
“Seeing you wear my clothes pleases me greatly,” he admitted, head tilted while tidying her disheveled collar. Lifting both excessively wide sleeves he nodded in satisfaction. “Very convincing imitation of the Crown Princess.”
“The mission,” she scoffed lightly.
“Someone tried tailing me after I appeared publicly,” he informed her softly. “Managed to shake them off with difficulty. Luo Shiyi currently investigates that man so await his news these next days. What of you here?”
“There were probing attempts about your absence but nothing concrete obtained on their end,” she reported with a nod.
“Seems you disguised as me very credibly,” he smiled faintly.
Clapping both her shoulders Jiang Kui shut her eyes lifting both hands up. He gently stripped off the outer robe before swiftly pulling it back on.
She watched him standing awash under streams of starlight neatly tugging his spotless cuffs taut and girding the cinched waist as the heavy crimson silks transformed him back step by step into the revered Crown Prince.
Beneath the stellar glows meeting her gaze once more, dark hair and scarlet surcoat spilling to the floorboards, for an instant he seemed infinitely distant again.
As if the man kissing her within the crevice earlier were a hazy, ephemeral fantasy.
She bit her lower lip lightly before tiptoeing up to press a kiss to him. Unhurried, she traced his brow, eyes and mouth as if reassuring herself this was no illusion.
“I’m here,” he stated softly.
His voice swirled obscurely around her lips.
“And you’ll remain here always?” She asked in a small voice.
He froze without reply.
“You’ll always remain,” she asserted earnestly by his ear. “You promised we’d be together lifelong.”
“I did.” He kissed her ardently. “You have my vow.”
That night was the new moon. The skies glittered with stars. He held her on the dewy grasses gazing upwards for a long time. But he did not teach her the constellations, only kissed her under the starlit vault until the bells tolled deep in the night when he finally dozed off leaning against her.
Faraway bells chimed faintly over distant mountains again and again. Cradling the slumbering man on the star-strewn grounds she suddenly believed in a concept of eternity for an ephemeral moment.
Three days later before an Eastern Palace side hall, rapid footsteps resounded.
“Your Highness,” a white-clothed attendant bowed low outside the screens. “There is news.”
Xie Wuyang set down his brush by the desk and called for him to enter.
“It is as you deduced, my lord,” Luo Shiyi stepped up bearing thick rolls of documents. “Along that trail of clues… We discovered the Third Prince’s involvement.”
Xie Wuyang and the girl exchanged a silent look as he accepted the dossier, scanning through with eyes incrementally chilling while enunciating the name flatly. “Xie Zhiyuan.”
It was Third Prince Xie Kuan’s courtesy name.
“I recall before our wedding, when I still took imperial lessons at court we once wandered by chance into the tombs. And the person misdirecting us was Xie Zhiyuan,” Jiang Kui said slowly.
“The ancestral tombs contain utmost secrecies none may trespass upon besides His Majesty,” Xie Wuyang recounted grimly. “So his leading you implies he held curiosity over its contents himself and intendedborrowing its mechanisms for murder.”
“Thus explaining how he deduced my martial skills,” Jiang Kui followed his line of thought. “During that autumnal banquet with the later ambush, my assailants recognized me.”
“After the Qi Wang faction’s decline many courtiers turned towards Xie Zhiyuan instead,” Xie Wuyang muttered. “I began suspecting things amiss around then.”
He sifted through the documents. “Amongst imperial sons, the Crown should naturally go to the eldest. With my imminent mortality and Xie Chu still a child born extraordinarily, Xie Zhiyuan held no chance unless…”
“His mother the Noble Consort Shu ranks beneath the top consorts, thus unqualified to become Empress or live as Emperor’s wife. Her son also lacked opportunity to inherit. Yet after all these years…” His tone turned bleak. “He still sought to contend.”
Jiang Kui scoffed “By driving wedges amongst kin and kinslaying?”
Xie Wuyang frowned slightly. “Most worrying is his cooperation with the Northern Office.”
Handing her the pile of documents he said “I’ll have to trouble my lady wife over this.”
She gazed straight at him. “Will you make a move?”
“Now that White Head’s identity is apparent and he dwells in court, severing outside connections will be simple,” he nodded. “As for the secular world please act in my stead.”
“His several strongholds seem easy enough to locate.” Jiang Kui flipped through the reports before quirking a brow at him sardonically. “Shall we raze them all in one go?”
“Raze them all,” he confirmed.
The embers in the brazier crackled loudly, sparks kindling into a vibrant cluster of flames.
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