Jiayi tried not to be bitter about the fact that The Emperor brought Sixth Prince out of his poor mood. It was logical, of course. For any child born from a concubine, attention from their father could be sparse. When that father was The Emperor, it was next to nothing. While His Majesty spent plenty of time with Xiang pin, Sixth Prince was rarely involved. He was either away studying or already asleep. Jiayi could see in Sixth Prince's glittering eyes how much this exclusive one-on-one time meant to him. He looked at The Emperor like he hung the stars and spat out the moon.
It was a shame that His Majesty couldn't even pretend to feel the same. He couldn't even remember Sixth Prince's age without Zhang Wei gonggong's help. Xiang pin made a good effort to chat with His Majesty about Sixth Prince, but somehow, he pivoted the conversation to talk about himself or her
Even now, as they walked to the training grounds, The Emperor was regaling Xiang pin with tales of the Summer Palace. When Sixth Prince asked if he could go, His Majesty brushed him off with a diplomatic 'We'll see'.
Jiayi would bet her life that Sixth Prince would be spending his summer here in the Forbidden City.
They entered the training grounds, and Jiayi helped Xiang pin climb the steps to the raised dias constructed in the center. There was a long table filled with plates of snacks and cold drinks along with a sturdy shade.
Sixth Prince tugged at Xiang pin's arm as he settled into his seat, "What are we doing here?"
"Just wait a moment," she whispered back.
A sharp whinny echoed through the stable before hooves could be heard on the other side of the arena. Prince Han burst into the stables, perched valiantly on top of a rich brown stallion. It looked nothing like the horses Jiayi had seen in the capital. Its sleek, muscular body gleamed under the sun, and its long, arched neck flowed gracefully into broad, powerful shoulders. It was as if the horse was made for Prince Han. His rich blue riding outfit barely creased as he brought the horse to a standstill. Hiking a long leg over the horse's flank, Prince Han dismounted before dropping to his knees to greet The Emperor.
"Rise," His Majesty replied.
"15th Uncle is here!" Said Sixth Prince.
The Emperor nodded, "Indeed, he is. And he's brought my gift for you."
"My gift?" Sixth Prince gasped.
Sixth Prince's eyes widened with excitement as he looked back at Prince Han, who had risen and was now holding the reins of the magnificent stallion. The boy's mouth fell open in awe as the horse was led forward, its mane and tail rippling like dark silk in the breeze.
"This horse," The Emperor announced, carrying across the training yard, "Was bred from the finest stock in the northern plains. A fitting companion for a prince."
"A horse? Not even 4th brother has a horse yet," Sixth Prince replied, staring up at The Emperor in awe.
"Yifu lacks the discipline for such a thing,"
Sixth Prince smiled at The Emperor wider than Jiayi had ever seen before he knelt down.
"Thank you, Royal Father!"
He jumped to his feet, not bothering to wait for The Emperor's response, and ran down to meet Prince Han.
"Slow down!" Xiang pin called after him, "Jiayi, make sure–"
"No," said The Emperor, stopping Jiayi before she could take a step,
"Yiqiang is a young man now. He doesn't need a maid running after him at all hours of the day. Send your eunuch,"
"Yes, Your Majesty," said Xiang pin as she nodded at Bolin.
Jiayi resumed her task of fanning Xiang pin and, The Emperor resumed ignoring Sixth Prince.
"What do you think, Huifen," said The Emperor, leaning close to whisper in Xiang pin's ear, "Is my gift up to your standards?"
"Of course! I've never seen a horse so beautiful!"
The Emperor wrapped an arm around Xiang pin's shoulder, the other hand grasping her hand, "It's as much of a gift for you as it is for Yiqiang. How could I give him anything but the best when you've toiled to raise him?"
Xiang pin bowed her head modestly. "Raising Yiqiang is a gift, Your Majesty,"
Again, Sixth Prince was forgotten. With a sigh, Jiayi fixed her gaze on Prince Han as he guided Sixth Prince onto the horse, his hands steady and sure. The boy's initial hesitation melted away under Prince Han's guidance, and soon enough, Sixth Prince was sitting tall in the saddle, a broad smile on his face.
"There you go," Prince Han said, his voice warm with encouragement, "Just like that. Keep your back straight and your hands light on the reins. Don't let him scare you,"
Sixth Prince nodded eagerly, his earlier anxiety replaced by a newfound confidence. He glanced back at The Emperor, who watched the scene with an approving nod.
"He's a natural," Prince Han said, looking up at The Emperor, "He'll make a fine rider with a bit of practice,"
The Emperor chuckled, "Perhaps he'll even join us for a hunt one day,"
"Perhaps not so soon, Your Majesty," replied Xiang pin as she pressed a grape to his mouth, "At least wait until the poor boy's lost the rest of his milk teeth!"
Sixth Prince's horse gave a full body shake so fierce that it nearly knocked him askew before Prince Han had the chance to steady him. Prince Han's eyes almost vanished into crescent moons as he and Sixth Prince broke out into giggles.
"I'm going to name him Lightning!" Sixth Prince declared.
Prince Han snorted, "Lightning? Are you trying to pair this horse up with that little dog?"
"Why not? Thunder and Lightning sound good together!"
"This is one of the finest horses in all of the world!" Said Prince Han, "And you want to name it after that fat monster?"
"If you say that again, I'll make her bite you!"
As they bickered, Jiayi fought back a smile.
"Strange," His Majesty said, "I was very clear that the little dog was meant to be your companion, Huifen,"
Xiang pin smiled, "It would be less work keeping the sun from rising than keeping Thunder away from Yiqiang. For such a small thing, she can make such a racket!"
The Emperor leaned close to Xiang pin and whispered something Jiayi couldn't hear. Based on the blush on Xiang pin's face, Jiayi was glad for it.
"I suppose Prince Han's scent pouch is your work as well?" He asked.
"Scent pouch?" Xiang pin echoed, leaning forward to peer at Prince Han, "Oh. That is new, I think. But not my work,"
Jiayi's heart skipped a beat, the silk fan almost flying from her fingers. She tightened her grip, the memory of secreting away pockets of time to carefully stitch the white aster decorating the black pouch on Prince Han's waist flooding her mind. She had even committed a petty theft to stuff it with the highest quality herbs. She had smuggled it out of Chengqiangong a few days ago into Chang daren's hands and eagerly awaited the sight of it on Prince Han. Jiayi thought that he would keep it private like their portraits, but seeing him wear it so brazenly in front of The Emperor made her stomach flutter.
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"Look a-niang! Royal father, look!" Sixth Prince cried, dragging Jiayi out of her musings.
Lightning pranced around the yard in a soft gallop, Prince Han holding tight to the lead.
"You look so dashing!" Xiang pin called back, "Hold tightly!"
Even the joy on Sixth Prince's face couldn't distract Jiayi from Prince Han for too long. He hadn't been without a smile from the second he sat Sixth Prince on Lightening. Suddenly, as if feeling the weight of her gaze, Prince Han locked eyes with her, and for a moment, the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them. Jiayi's heart pounded in her chest, her breath catching in her throat.
The emotions she had carefully hidden away surged to the surface in that fleeting moment—admiration, longing, and something deeper, something she dared not name. Prince Han's gaze softened, his eyes holding hers with an intensity that made her cheeks flush. It was as if he was speaking to her without words, acknowledging the bond that they shared in secret.
Jiayi quickly looked away, focusing once again on fanning Xiang pin. But the image of Prince Han's warm, knowing gaze stayed with her, sending a rush of warmth through her body. No matter how distant he might seem or how impossible their situation, in that brief exchange, there was a connection that couldn't be ignored.
✺
An pin was an Imperial Concubine. A status that thousands of hopeful women never even came close to achieving, no matter how long they fought to claw themselves out of the mud. And yet here she was, walking to the Imperial Household Department to personally pick up her monthly stipend.
Weiwei held tight to her hand, a worried wrinkle in her brow, "Your Highness, you don't have to debase yourself to the dogs in the Imperial Household Department. I'll go back and demand your stipend. I'll make such a fuss that they won't dare turn me away,"
"No," replied An pin, "I'll do it myself,"
It was insulting, but it got her out of Chuxiugong. It was embarrassing to admit, but technically, Wang chang zai had run her out of there. The older woman was just such a wet blanket. She was still dull, morose, and mean.
To her annoyance, the Imperial Household Department didn't look very busy at all. Nothing was on fire, no one was dead, hell, the courtyard was practically deserted.
"Hello!" Cried Weiwei, "Anyone there?"
Her voice echoed in the wind, the only response being the rustling of the trees.
An pin huffed, "Did a real man come by and scare all the eunuchs away? What is going on?"
"Anyone?!" Weiwei shouted again.
"Coming! Coming!" A eunuch wrenched open the doors and scampered to kneel before An pin.
"Wishing Your Highness peace,"
"Is there some sort of half-man holiday I wasn't informed of? My maid came here to get my stipend, and you wouldn't open the doors! Explain yourself," said An pin.
"Begging your forgiveness, Your Highness!" Said the eunuch, hunching his back, "It's just...the preparation for First Princess's wedding is running the department thin,"
"There are thousands of you! How can one wedding need this much attention?"
"Begging your pardon!" The eunuch said again, "Please come, Your Highness. I'll fetch your stipend,"
As they went inside, Weiwei whispered in An pin's ear, "Your Highness, please calm yourself. Shen huang gui fei might hear,"
"Whatever," An pin muttered as she followed him inside.
Patting the sweat from her brow, An pin watched the eunuch pile her stipend on a silk tray. It made quite an attractive picture. The summer wasn't so far away, so now was the time to request some new summer outfits from the Clothing House. Perhaps she could send an extra bit back home this month for her mother's birthday. There were a few sweets in the capital that she hadn't been able to get her hands on for some time. Maybe she'd use a tael or two to hire a chef.
"Stop, right there," Weiwei hissed, "Are you trying to cheat my mistress? That is clearly not the monthly stipend of an Imperial Concubine! What kind of game are you playing?"
Weiwei was right, her stipend was missing an entire row of taels!
The eunuch slammed the chest of silver shut before falling to his knees.
"Forgive this slave, Your Highness, but this is the decree of Her Highness Shen huang gui fei. To be able to give First Princess the wedding her status deserves and to ease the strain on the royal treasury, Her Highness is temporarily lowering the stipends of all Imperial Concubines and below,"
"Why wasn't Her Highness An pin informed of this?" Asked Weiwei.
"The decree is supposed to go out tomorrow," The eunuch replied.
Before she let out the tirade that was bubbling in her chest, An pin felt Weiwei squeeze her arm and shake her head subtly.
"This concubine is foolish for not understanding Shen huang gui fei's sincerity," An pin said as one of her maids took the money, "I'll personally express my gratitude to her Highness when I get the chance,"
An pin ignored whatever response the eunuch had and concentrated on not stomping away.
"Your Highness," said Weiwei, "You don't actually have to thank Shen huang gui fei. How will that eunuch even know? Let's go back to Chuxiugong. We can finish His Majesty's sleeping clothes and deliver them to Yangxindian,"
"I want to go to the Clothing House and see if there's anything good in stock. I'll only be able to get a few things now but it's better than nothing,"
"Cheer up, Your Highness, Cao taiyi said he's making good progress on his task,"
Some progress was better than no progress, but Cao taiyi was a bit useless. Of course, Wang chang zai had to bend over for an Imperial Physician that was near dirt on the food chain in the Imperial Hospital. He was no spring chicken himself but somehow was only just above a junior physician!
An pin was nearly at the Clothing House when a pocket of faint whispers reached her ears. She paused, signaling for the rest of her servants to stay behind, and followed the murmuring until she was perched outside an archway.
"Apparently, Hu Shi is so dim that he doesn't know what happens in his own manor. My sister said that his first cefujin, Cai gêgê buys prostitutes and passes them off as maids so when she's done with them, nobody bothers to ask any questions," a woman said.
Hu Shi? Wasn't that Huabao's soon-to-be husband?
"Your sister didn't tell you about Giru gêgê? The poor thing's tried to join her late mother three times! But Cai gêgê won't let her because she thinks Hu Shi will blame her!" A deeper voice added.
"Hah!" A nasal voice chimed in, "Shouldn't she take the blame? I heard that when Cai gêgê can't stop Hu Shi from visiting Giru gêgê's chambers, she forces her to drink a contraceptive right in front of her the next morning,"
"Aiya," the first woman said with a sigh, "How will First Princess survive in that hellhole? Cai gêgê is crazy enough to offend His Majesty to ensure First Princess doesn't win!"
"If First Princess is marrying into a kennel, why is Shen huang gui fei so proud? Fuca or no, no connection is worth your child!"
"Hmph! With the way she's behaving lately, it wouldn't shock me if she'd throw 10th Prince to an alligator to be able to tie her rope to a good family,"
"But isn't this alligator too fierce? Didn't you hear about his concubine? She was married into the manor for a year before she "suddenly" died while he was on a surveying trip with his father. She was four months pregnant at the time!"
It took all of An pin's willpower to not explode into laughter. Karma hadn't skipped Shen huang gui fei, it was just waiting to make a statement! And what a statement it was! Shen huang gui fei's precious pearl, who would tie her to one of the noblest families of the Great Qing, was being sent to her death! Huabao was as soft as a cotton bud, unlike her sword of a mother. There's no way she would survive.
"Just talking about this makes me want to get a blessed amulet! Ah, poor First Princess...should we do something about it?"
Any glee that An pin built up quickly drained away. Damn, these bleeding hearts! She turned to Weiwei and whispered, "Bring the maid with the stipend over. As quietly as possible,"
"Pah! And do what? Shen huang gui fei has turned into a beast since The Empress visited to see 10th Prince and 11th Prince. She'd sooner kill us than believe the truth about Hu Shi. She'd say we're trying to sabotage her good fortune to gain favor with The Empress. And then our heads will roll for it!"
"It's not all about Shen huang gui fei! What kind of woman deserves to marry into a place like that? What if we spoke to His Majesty? Or The Empress?"
Weiwei dragged one of An pin's maids to her side, the tray of silver wobbling slightly.
"Your Highness," the girl greeted as quietly as possible.
An pin shoved her into the archway, and the silver taels crashed against the ground.
"You useless thing!" An pin shouted, ensuring her voice echoed through the corridor, "How dare you dirty my things! Pick it up before I wring your neck!"
The corridor the mysterious gossipers were in had two exits on either end. An pin took up one exit, so the group had no choice but to be flushed out of the other.
"Moxin, you idiot!" Weiwei added, catching on quickly, "Pick up the stipend quickly! Or are you trying to curse Her Highness?"
As the maid scrambled to snatch up the taels, a group of women trailed out of the other end of the corridor, just as An pin predicted. She recognized them. They were Shen huang gui fei's nursemaids. Well, half of them. Chen momo, Li momo, and Tan momo. The three women could barely control their fright as they kneeled to greet her.
"Rise," said An pin, "Pardon me, I forgot that voices carry far around here. I hope I didn't disturb you?"
"N-no," Chen momo said, "Not at all,"
"It's us who hope we didn't disturb you, Your Highness," said Tan momo.
"I didn't hear a thing,"
"Oh! Good! We could never forgive ourselves if we bothered Your Highness with our nonsense," said Chen momo.
By now, the maid had finished collecting An pin stipend and was standing at her elbow with the tray in her hands.
"You're lucky that it was me. Even if it was just nonsense, in a place like this, nonsense and treason can sound very alike, right Li momo?"
The momos glanced at each other and nervously wrung their hands.
A pin collected three silver taels and gave one to each momo.
Li momo turned the money around in her fingers, "Your Highness, this is..."
"A gift," An pin responded, "Raising an Imperial heir is no small job, especially two small princes. Maybe one day when I have a child, you'd be willing to share your wisdom with me,"
"Thank you, Your Highness," the nursemaids said.
"We won't forget your kindness," Chen momo added.
"See that you don't,"