Chapter 9: The Meeting

Chapter 9: The Meeting

With something important weighing on her mind, Liu Yun felt the carriage was moving too slowly, wishing she could sprout wings and fly there.

After a hurried journey, the Liu family carriage finally came to a stop before Tianqin Tower.

Not daring to delay, Liu Yun hurriedly got off the carriage with Jin He's help and stepped into Tianqin Tower, her face set and serious.

"Where's your proprietor? I have urgent business."

The shopkeeper barely had time to look up before she hit him with that. He hesitated for a moment, and Liu Yun snapped impatiently, "What are you standing around for? Go get your boss!"

She had no idea what her father was going through in that Dali Temple prison, and she was beside herself with worry.

"Could this be Lady Liu?"

Just as the shopkeeper was hesitating, a voice called out urgently from nearby.

It was a plump middle-aged man in fine robes, with a warm, friendly smile.

Liu Yun didn't recognize him and just stared at him warily.

Sensing this, the middle-aged man immediately slapped his forehead and explained, "Lady Liu, don't misunderstand. I'm Zhu Fu, the proprietor of Tianqin Tower. I heard you were looking for me on urgent business, so here I am."

Hearing he was the man she was looking for, Liu Yun relaxed her guard and didn't stop to wonder how the owner of Tianqin Tower knew she was Lady Liu on sight.

"Great. Come with me, let's talk somewhere private."

The white jade dragon pendant had to do with the Crown Prince, and Liu Yun didn't want to draw any attention.

Once they were in the private room, Liu Yun took out the jade pendant representing the Crown Prince's identity and held it out for Zhu Fu to verify.

But the second he saw the pendant, he dropped to his knees and took it with the utmost respect.

Liu Yun was so taken aback by the sudden move that she froze, until Zhu Fu spoke and snapped her out of it.

"You want to see His Highness, right?"

Liu Yun nodded at once and pressed on, "That's right. When can His Highness come?"

A hint of difficulty appeared on Zhu Fu's face as he replied, "That, I can't say for sure. But I'll pass the word along as fast as I can. If you have no other matters, you can wait in the Spring Room."

The third floor of Tianqin Tower had just four rooms, named Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—collectively known as the Four Seasons Rooms.

They were booked well ahead of time by VIPs, and outsiders were never allowed in.

Liu Yun only knew the Autumn Room belonged to Princess Changyang; the others were a mystery. Now she knew one more.

No time to worry about that now. Liu Yun followed along immediately, but before Zhu Fu left, she told him again and again to hurry it up.

That Dali Temple prison was no place for anyone.

The door creaked shut, and Liu Yun sat down on the couch, anxious, taking in the room, which looked understated but was fancy in every detail.

It was called a room, but it was more like a whole suite—spacious and fully stocked.

Everything was made of golden nanmu wood. Antiques and scrolls were everywhere—real works by famous masters. The inkstone was a Chengni, the brush was purple-haired, the ink was Li family Gui ink, and the paper was Chengxin Hall paper.

Any one of these items would be treasured by scholars everywhere.

Liu Yun admired them, genuinely liking what she saw.

She wrote storybooks, and with good tools, her writing would flow like magic.

Her little brother, who was studying hard, would love them too.

Too bad each piece was worth a small fortune. The Lius weren't rich or noble, and none of them were flashy, so they'd never go after stuff like this.

Liu Yun ran her fingers over them a few times to get her fix, sighing to herself.

The Crown Prince was the Crown Prince—he had great taste in everything!

Soon, a young waiter brought up a spread of tea and pastries.

They were delicate and sweet-smelling—pastries from Baoyue Zhai.

It was the only shop in Yanjing that supplied the imperial palace. One box cost five gold pieces. Forget regular folks—even a family like the Lius wouldn't dare splurge on them.

Only at her coming-of-age ceremony did her parents splurge on a box for her to enjoy.

She shared a few with her little brother, and they ate until they were stuffed, skipping dinner that night.

But now, just sitting in the Crown Prince's Spring Room, she had a whole pile of Baoyue Zhai pastries.

And a pot of tea that smelled fresh and lovely.

Too bad Liu Yun didn't know much about tea. If it were her father, he'd be singing its praises and savoring every sip.

The leaves were purple, shaped like bamboo shoots, and cost ten gold pieces per liang. It was famous imperial tribute tea.

But Liu Yun had no appetite for these treats right now, and she didn't dare touch them anyway.

These things weren't meant for her.

Back in the hallway, Zhu Fu told the shopkeeper, "Make sure you take good care of the lady in the Spring Room. Don't slack off."

The shopkeeper nodded quickly and said, "Rest assured, Proprietor. Everything's set up just like His Highness usually has it. She won't be disappointed."

"Good. If she needs anything, make sure she gets it. I'll go tell His Highness now."

After the shopkeeper bowed him off, Zhu Fu went out back, scribbled a note, grabbed a pigeon from a cage in the hallway, tied the note to its leg, and let it go.

Soon, a snow-white pigeon swooped down over the Eastern Palace.

Xiao Hang was by the window, glancing up now and then to rest his eyes, and he spotted the white pigeon right away.

He waved out the window, and the pigeon swooped down, landing neatly on his slender fingers with a soft coo.

But once he got the note, Xiao Hang stopped paying attention to the bird. He unfolded it, skimmed it, and stood up.

"Finally..."

He muttered something under his breath, his face lighting up.

As he came out of the study, Su Lin hurried over and asked, "Where are you headed, Your Highness?"

"Get the carriage ready. Tianqin Tower."

Su Lin knew it well, but his face betrayed nothing as he replied respectfully, "Yes."

...

Tianqin Tower, Spring Suite.

Perhaps because she hadn't slept well the night before, Liu Yun began to feel drowsy after waiting a short while in this comfortable room.

Her mind grew foggy, and her body felt utterly drained.

"Is the young mistress feeling sleepy?"

Jin He noticed her mistress's drowsiness at once.

Whenever her mistress got sleepy, not only did her eyelids become more defined, but her gaze also grew unfocused and dull—impossible to miss.

"Mmm... so sleepy."

Yawning, Liu Yun replied drowsily, her body already searching for a comfortable spot to lean against.

Jin He sighed and said, "It must be because the young mistress slept too little last night, and now she can't hold on any longer."

"How about this—the young mistress can rest briefly on the daybed, and this servant will step outside to keep watch. If I see the Crown Prince arrive, I'll knock on the door to alert you at once."

Liu Yun thought this was a good idea, and she was truly exhausted, so she nodded in agreement.

"Then please keep a sharp eye, sister Jin He."

Coming to ask a favor, she couldn't very well be found asleep when they first meet.

After Jin He left, Liu Yun didn't dare go to the bed, so she leaned against the daybed and dozed off.

Closing her eyes felt so wonderful!

Before drifting into a hazy slumber, Liu Yun mused to herself.

Morning light streamed through the window lattice, falling upon the peonies on the flower table and the young woman sleeping soundly beside them.

The maiden, asleep in spring, had flushed pink cheeks, outshining all the world's scenery.

Everything was quiet, as if a storm were brewing.

Because of the frantic ride, Xiao Hang's breath was slightly ragged when he arrived at Tianqin Tower, but his eyes were keen and sparkling.

Zhu Fu had been waiting for some time, and spotting the Crown Prince's glossy black steed from afar, he hurried forward to greet him.

"Your High—"

He barely uttered a single word before being cut off by the prince's cold, stern tone.

"Cut the chatter. Where's the lady?"

Zhu Fu dared not delay and immediately clasped his hands in salute. "The lady is in Your Highness's Spring Suite at this moment."

"Good."

With that, he didn't even need Zhu Fu to lead the way—he strode across the threshold into Tianqin Tower, and went straight upstairs, his goal clear.

Zhu Fu hurried along behind him, his thoughts churning.

It had only been fifteen minutes since the message was sent—at that speed...

He had guessed correctly. This Lady Liu was destined for great fortune; her good days were surely coming.

But he never would have imagined that the Crown Prince, with his nose in the air and always being so choosy, would finally fancy someone like Miss Liu.

It wasn't that Miss Liu was lacking in any way—it was just that among the noble ladies of Yanjing, she was still too plain.

Zhu Fu couldn't figure it out, and simply concluded that to each their own.

Xiao Hang reached the third floor, with Su Lin and Jiang Shuo, the Eastern Palace guard captain, close behind, and Zhu Fu, panting, bringing up the rear.

From a distance, Xiao Hang saw the maidservant of Liu Yun, also known as Yunniang, standing guard at the door. Upon seeing him, she cautiously tapped twice on the door behind her.

The taps were soft and secretive, as if there were something inside he shouldn't see.

Xiao Hang pondered as he walked, and as Jin He began to greet him, he waved a hand to silence her.

"Enough talk. I'll go in and see for myself."

The door creaked open softly. Jin He wanted to follow inside, but the sharp-witted Su Lin stopped her.

"Hold on, sister. Our master and Miss Liu have important matters to discuss inside. As servants, we ought to wait outside together."

Though Su Lin wore a smile, his manner left no room for objection, and what he said made sense, so Jin He complied for the moment.

But her eyes stayed fixed on the door, full of worry, as if she could see through it to check on her mistress.

To see if the Crown Prince was mistreating her.

A lone man and woman sharing a room—one had to be on guard, even if that man were the future emperor of Great Yan.

The door shut with a creak, leaving just the two of them alone in the vast room.

Realizing who else was in this room, the fire in Xiao Hang's chest spread swiftly through every part of him, making him hot all over and his mouth dry.

His gaze quickly fixed on that soft, lovely form, and a flicker of amused astonishment crossed his eyes as he walked over with softened steps.

The pale golden sunlight, like gauze, enveloped the maiden's well-balanced figure, like gossamer silk over fine jade, making one's eyes linger a while longer.

Xiao Hang looked at her with a focused expression, leaned in a bit closer, and looked her over from head to toe.

Too plain.

Plain in her hair, plain in her dress—none of it did her justice.

Looking at Liu Yun's simple attire, Xiao Hang couldn't help but think of the gold, jade, brocade, and silk that had been collecting dust in his treasury for ages.

And the emerald hairpiece his mother had left him.

His mind wandered, and his hand moved slowly, languidly.

His long, knuckled fingers traced over her two small hair buns, then followed her sideburns, softly stroking her porcelain-white, silky cheek.

As if a tiny electric current were running through him, Xiao Hang's fingertips went numb, and he couldn't stop a slight tremor.

Xiao Hang took a deep breath, trying to rein in his restless thoughts.

"Mmm..."

In the empty room, only a stifled moan from the young girl could be heard. Xiao Hang's eyes flickered, and he swiftly withdrew his hand.

It was a completely instinctive reaction; even Xiao Hang himself couldn't comprehend why he had done it.

What was he so afraid of?

Frowning, Xiao Hang took a few more steps back and sat down on a crescent stool a short distance away.

He picked up a cup of cold Zisun tea, wrinkled his nose in distaste, and set it down again.

As she slept, Liu Yun felt a tickling sensation on her face, disturbing her rest.

She had slept so deeply that she didn't even hear the knock Jin He had promised, and just slept right through it.

But the tickling on her face woke her.

First, she gave her face a careless scratch, then slowly opened her eyes.

And then, Liu Yun saw the aloof, noble Crown Prince sitting across from her.

Clad in a purple robe with a jade belt, a gold crown, and a red tassel tied under his chin, accentuating his chiseled jaw.

One glance was enough to see that his beauty was as sharp as a knife, cutting and bold.

At that moment, the Crown Prince leaned lazily against the table, crossing his legs in a leisurely pose, his phoenix eyes locked onto her, his expression dark and inscrutable.

In an instant, all drowsiness vanished from Liu Yun, and she nearly rolled off the couch.

"Your Highness, when did you arrive? Your servant has been remiss!"

Author's note:

Update.

Next chapter on Friday.