A powerful ache was taking up residence at the base of The Empress's head. It had sprung into action the moment the eunuch told them the news of Xiang pin's accident, and as the days went on, it only got worse.

Thanks to the combination of her heavy clothes and jewels, Xiang pin had sunk like a stone before her servants could drag her out. Hwang taiyi had the momos nearly beat Xiang pin's back black and blue to force the water from her lungs, and even then, she was still delirious and sick in bed.

Dealing with His Majesty's mood made it even worse. In all honesty, The Empress couldn't tell if Xiang pin's accident was really the source of his ire or if he was using it as an excuse to vent his frustrations from court. Either way, the entire situation was just tiring. She had never seen The Emperor so furious because of one of his women. Not even Mu pin inspired this sort of fury in him.

Would it be better or worse if Xiang pin didn't make it?

No.

There was no point in thinking about that when she had so much to do. The Emperor had ordered her to interrogate each and every one of Xiang pin's servants about what happened. So far, they all told the same story. The temperate weather inspired Xiang pin to picnic by the lake near the Imperial Garden. They were so busy with their tasks that they overlooked how close Xiang pin got to the water until she slipped in.

The Empress knew that The Emperor wouldn't be satisfied with just that. Someone needed to be punished.

"Your Highness," Shiyi said, her soft voice cutting through The Empress' thoughts, "His Majesty has called for you,"

Immediately, the throbbing in her head worsened. Still, she grabbed Shiyi's hand and made her way to her raised chair. Before they departed, she sent a maid to fetch one of the newer girls. Hopefully, they would drop by and distract His Majesty so she could have a chance to slip away and return to her palace. As she stepped through Yanxindian's courtyard, she was accosted by the sound of miserable sobbing. Irritation flared in The Empress's chest. Has she been called here to referee a childish spat with the hundreds of nursemaids that ran the streets here? Or had a pair of concubines behaved so childishly in front of The Emperor that she had to be dragged here?

The Empress took a deep breath and walked inside. Her composed and gentile smile evaporated at the sight of Yihe and Yian kneeling before The Emperor, their faces swollen and red from crying. She barely kept enough composure to greet The Emperor properly.

"Rise," he said, his eyes cold with anger. He gestured to the seat next to him with a lazy wave of his arm, "Sit,"

She did as she was told, "Thank you, Your Majesty,"

The Empress ignored her sons, even though their cries clawed at her heart like wild dogs.

"How may I serve you, Your Majesty?" She asked.

The Emperor closed his eyes and shook his head, "You see those wretches you bore me and still ask me that question?"

A cavernous pit hollowed out The Empress's stomach. The Emperor had never taken that tone with her children. He had never sounded so vengeful.

Smiling brightly, she stroked The Emperor's arm, "Your Majesty, Yian and Yihe are young still. Whatever they did to displease you, surely–"

"Displease me?" The Emperor said, jerking his arm away, "They contempt me!"

So, soft words and empty eyes wouldn't smooth things over this time. She turned to the kneeling boys, her voice steady.

"What have you done?"

Yihe cried heartily, back bowed like a centennial tree, "We didn't mean to! We were only playing!"

Yian was in no better state, screaming his innocence as well.

"Quiet!" The Emperor roared, pelting his teacup at the princes.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

The cup shattered, spraying them with glass shards and tea. The Empress jumped to her feet and then dropped to her knees. The casual violence towards Yian and Yihe made her heart race.

"Please dissipate your anger, Your Majesty," she begged, "Think of your health,"

The Emperor called for Wang gugu, "Inform Her Highness of what her good children have done,"

Wang gugu dipped her head, "Last week, 3rd Prince and 7th Prince left the A Ge Sou to play at the Imperial garden,"

Oh no.

"They tasked their eunuchs with overturning the earth for worms to feed the carp. With the weather so mild, the dirt had no chance to harden, so when Xiang pin went to the edge, the ground gave way,"

No.

Swallowing, The Empress bowed even lower, "Your Majesty, I apologize. My carelessness–,"

Her words died off as The Emperor stood and walked past her as if she hadn't opened her mouth in the first place. He ignored Yian and Yihe's groveling, ripping his body away as they clutched his feet for forgiveness. His servants filed out after him, leaving only Wang gugu.

"Your Highness. His Majesty has ordered 3rd Prince and 7th Prince's servants to be flogged 50 times. 3rd Prince and 7th Prince are to stay in their rooms to copy sutras until Xiang pin recovers,"

The decree sent Yian and Yihe into a new round of sobbing. The Empress closed her eyes.

"I thank His Majesty for his grace,"

Wang gugu bowed low before turning around.

The Empress stumbled to her feet, and Yihe threw himself into her arms, "Royal Mother, make Royal Father forgive us! We didn't mean to!"

"Please," Yian begged, "Please!"

Even though Yanxindian was empty, The Empress knew that any show of kindness would stoke the flames of His Majesty's anger. Taking a deep breath, she pried Yihe's arms away from her.

"Men!" She called, "Take them away!"

Yian looked up at her, disbelief in his eyes, as the eunuchs dragged him to his feet. The Empress gazed down at her hands but could still feel his gaze's burn. A tear landed on her fingers, but she quickly wiped it away.

Shiyi came to her side, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

The Empress held back her tears, "Double the guards around Chengqiangong. Send my decree. If Xiang pin dies, every doctor and servant will go with her, "

✺

The night before her return to the palace, Jiayi realized, with incredible clarity, that she had gone insane.

For some reason, the idea of going back to the Palace, back to the way things were, made Jiayi ravenous. Not for food, either.

For Prince Han.

Jiayi had never thought of herself as someone starved for affection—the fewer people who paid attention to her back at the palace, the better. Prince Han had made her realize that the affection at the palace was stale and poisoned. Even if she had been starving, she knew better than to do that to herself. Prince Han's affection made her mouth water and her hair stand on the back of her neck. Prince Han made her realize that people could die of a broken heart. She never wanted to look at or, speak to or be near anyone else for the rest of her life. She wanted to crack open his chest and live there for the rest of her life.

And she hadn't even kissed him.

So yes.

Jiayi had gone insane. And it had only taken a few days.

And she certainly wouldn't get any less insane back at the Palace.

"I can hear you thinking,"

Jiayi startled, turning around in her borrowed sheets to squint down at the floor where she assumed Prince Han was lying. The arrangement of her on the bed and him on the floor was fresh, and each brush of the Prince Han-scented sheets on her skin sent lightning flittering up and down her back.

"Why aren't you asleep?" She asked.

"Why aren't you?"

"I'm nervous," she said, "When we get back to the palace, things will be different,"

Jiayi felt the tickle of Prince Han's fingers against her own and held tight in the darkness between them.

"We'll be there together," he said, "That's all that matters,"

"We'll be together," Jiayi echoed, "But not like this. I'll miss you,"

Prince Han sighed, "I'll miss you, too. I don't want to go back there and watch people treat you like a slave. I don't know if my heart can handle it,"

"I don't know if my heart can handle you treating me like just a slave," she said, the confession flowing like water.

A silence of uncertainty stretched between them.

"By God," Prince Han said at last, "We're a mess. What about this? We'll use Xiang pin's dog to pass messages between us,"

"Thunder?" Jiayi said with a quiet snort, "She'd sooner eat the letters than deliver them anywhere,"

"True. Ah! What about Chang Lingxiu? I can put him to work as my errand boy. Make him earn his keep,"

Jiayi was forced to stifle her giggles lest she wake up the entire inn.

"My lord, Chang daren has done nothing but protect you sincerely. Why are you so against him?"

The silence blanketed them again, but it was far heavier this time. Prince Han gripped her fingers tighter.

"He reminds me that The Forbidden City is one big game. No matter how noble or blessed you are, in the end, we're all disposable,"

Thinking of the way Shen huang gui fei tried to use Prince Han infuriated Jiayi.

"I won't let that happen again. I'll protect you,"

"Protect me?" Prince Han said with a smile in his voice, "Shouldn't it be the other way around? I'm still a prince. Leave me with some pride,"

"How about this? We'll protect each other,"

"Deal," he replied, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, "Good night,"

Jiayi wrapped herself ever tighter in the duvet, bringing her just-kissed hand to her face. She brushed her lips against the still-tingling skin.

There.

They had kissed.

Now, it made sense for her to have lost her mind.