Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 121

The Prince of Han was prone to tears, but she was also easily soothed. Before she had a princess consort, she would feel sorry for herself for a while, then either resign herself to her fate or find a way to move on. In any case, she would wipe her tears and stop crying. Later, after she had her consort, the consort was gentle and would draw her near to offer a few words of comfort, and the Prince of Han would usually stop crying.

The Princess Consort beckoned. The Prince of Han shuffled over, sniffling. She had a bellyful of words to say, yet she didn’t know where to begin. Tears streamed down her face, leaving it wet. She raised a hand to wipe them away, but the Princess Consort sighed, took her hand, and had her sit down beside her.

The Prince of Han’s eyes were blurry with tears, and she couldn’t stop sobbing. The Princess Consort took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her face, then said softly, “Hasn’t Your Highness grown up already?”

The Prince of Han nodded, her voice choked with sobs. “Yes, I’m sixteen.”

After saying this, fresh tears streamed down her face.

The Princess Consort pulled her into an embrace, sighing helplessly. “Sixteen is a grown-up. It’s not good to always be crying.”

The Prince of Han nodded again, but the thought that she truly couldn’t escape this time brought a fresh wave of grief, and she began to sob quietly once more.

The Princess Consort’s heart ached for her. She let the prince lean against her, patting her gently, though she was quite bewildered.

It was true that Her Highness cried easily and was timid, but she was not one to cause trouble. No major events concerning the Prince of Han’s residence had occurred recently, so the Emperor’s summons should not have been a bad thing. If he had deliberately concealed some news and summoned Her Highness to hold her accountable for a crime, she likely would not have been allowed to leave the palace. Could it be that His Majesty had said something that frightened Her Highness?

The carriage was still moving; they were some distance from the Prince of Han’s residence. The Princess Consort patted the Prince of Han and said softly, “There, there, no more crying, no more crying.”

The Prince of Han had cried herself tired. Her tears slowly subsided, and she moved out of her consort’s embrace, sitting with her head bowed in sullen silence, like a child who had done something wrong and dared not speak.

The Princess Consort had no choice but to ask, “Why did His Majesty suddenly summon you?”

The Prince of Han looked over with her red, swollen eyes. She thought of the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue, of how His Majesty and the Prince Consort had insisted on taking her pulse, forcing her despite knowing she was unwilling. The more she thought, the more wronged she felt, and she was about to pour out her grievances to her consort. But just as she was about to speak, she was struck by the thought: when the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? It would be better to find a way to save her consort’s life than to tell her.

This thought made the Prince of Han even more miserable. She felt as if every moment was a final farewell. Looking at her consort before her, she felt that each glance was one less she would have.

Her Highness was always very honest with her, answering whatever she asked without concealment. But now, she just stared at her without speaking. The Princess Consort couldn’t help but find it strange. After a moment’s thought, she asked again, “Is it some secret that cannot be spoken of?”

The Prince of Han nodded subconsciously, her eyes still fixed on her consort.

The Princess Consort smiled. “Then we won’t speak of it.” She found other words to comfort her. “Among the princes, you are the only one left. His Majesty has even tolerated the Prince of Teng, so how could he not tolerate you? Besides, you always stay in your residence, you aren’t arrogant or domineering, nor do you associate with the ministers. You are the most well-behaved of all. His Majesty will not blame you.”

Every word the Princess Consort said was reasonable, yet the Prince of Han felt not the slightest relief. She remained silent for a moment, her heart aching as she saw the concern in her consort’s eyes. She recalled how A Yao had often stayed with her in the residence since their marriage, rarely going out, sometimes even sharing her anxieties and losing sleep. Now, she was about to die. Before she died, she had to do one thing to make A Yao smile.

The Prince of Han nodded obediently. “You’re right. I’m probably just scaring myself. Since His Majesty summoned me today, he probably won’t call for me again in the next few days. There are many beautiful sights in the capital. Is there anywhere you’d like to go? Shall I accompany you tomorrow?”

The Princess Consort did not answer immediately, only gazed at the Prince of Han with deep eyes. The Prince of Han was not good at lying. She slowly lowered her head, not daring to meet her consort’s gaze. But as soon as she lowered her head, she remembered how clever A Yao was. Not looking at her would seem guilty, and she might see through the ruse. She quickly raised her head again to meet her consort’s eyes, her expression carrying a somewhat inviolable, righteous air as she tried her utmost to appear trustworthy.

The Princess Consort suddenly burst out laughing. The smile was radiant, like a spring breeze scattering dark clouds and causing the mountain peach blossoms to bloom. The Prince of Han was nearly mesmerized. She grabbed the hem of her consort’s skirt with both hands and shook it, pleading, “Please? A Yao, let me go for a walk with you.”

The Princess Consort nodded. The Prince of Han was immediately overjoyed, almost forgetting the mortal danger she was in. She beamed at her consort. “Then think about where you want to go.”

The Princess Consort nodded again. “Alright.”

The Prince of Han’s eyes curved into a smile, looking utterly delighted.

The Princess Consort couldn’t resist touching her soft earlobe and smiled as well.

That night, the Prince of Han eagerly pulled her consort along, telling her about the various scenic spots in the capital.

“There are a few places I’ve been to,” the Prince of Han said enthusiastically, racking her brain to describe their beauty to her consort. But the Princess Consort asked, “Does Your Highness remember Guangping Temple?”

The Prince of Han tilted her head and thought for a moment. She vaguely remembered having been there. “It seems to be a temple on a mountain.”

The Princess Consort gave a gentle smile. “Precisely. The peach blossoms at the mountain temple are brilliant, blooming across the fields like clouds. If Your Highness is interested, we could pay a visit.”

Since the whole point was to accompany her, how could the Prince of Han refuse a place she wanted to go? She nodded repeatedly. “Alright, I want to see the peach blossoms too.”

She was happy again, a stark contrast to the teary-eyed state she was in when she left the palace. No matter which version of her it was, the Princess Consort liked them all. She stood up and gently coaxed her, “Your Highness went to the palace today and must be tired. You should rest early.”

The Prince of Han looked up at her and obediently replied, “Alright.” After a pause, she asked with her moist, bright eyes, “What about you?”

The Princess Consort smiled and stroked her hair. “I’m going to prepare for tomorrow’s outing.”

The Prince of Han immediately started to get up, about to say, “I’ll go,” but a thought occurred to her, and she sat back down. “Then you go. I’ll wait for you to come back before I sleep.”

She sat formally on her heels on the low couch. A candlestick by her side cast a glow on her still-youthful face, making her look even more docile. The Princess Consort smiled faintly. Her Highness had a guileless heart, as if she would never grow up. And yet now, she was keeping secrets from her. She wondered who had taught her such bad habits; she would have to be taught a proper lesson.

The Prince of Han, unaware of her consort’s thoughts, urged her on eagerly, “Go on, Wangfei. I’ll wait for you.”

As soon as the Princess Consort left, the Prince of Han stood up stealthily and ran to the door. She watched until her consort and two maids had walked far away before closing the door. She then ran to the inner chamber, went to a low cabinet, measured a distance of seven inches with her hand, and knocked with a bent finger. It was hollow. She pressed around that area of the floor until she felt a tiny, subtle protrusion. It was so faint that one would never notice it without looking for it.

The Prince of Han held her breath and pressed down hard on the protrusion. A small section of the floorboard flipped over, revealing a box hidden underneath.

The Prince of Han took out the box and opened it. Inside were several land deeds, a new travel permit, and a household registration. She was timid and thus especially afraid of trouble. After establishing her own residence years ago, she had secretly created a new identity, intending to flee if her life was ever in danger. She wasn’t very capable, and this box had taken her many years to assemble. But at last, it would be of use.

A Yao could go to the place she had arranged and start over.

For now, she couldn’t tell her consort. If A Yao knew, she would surely refuse, and perhaps even scare her with terrifying stories like she did during Li Shou’s rebellion. That incident had left her too afraid to be alone at night for over a month, constantly clinging to A Yao, terrified that if she were left by herself, a demon would come and snatch her away.

This time, she had to be more thorough.

The thought that in a few days she would have to bid farewell to her consort and never see her again made the Prince of Han’s lips tremble. Tears dripped down onto the household registration, smudging the black ink. She quickly used her sleeve to blot the moisture, but the characters were still stained. Not daring to hold it any longer, she put it back in the box. Slowly, she picked up the box, wiping her tears as she thought long and hard about where to hide it for use in a few days.

When the Prince of Han went on an outing, she always had to bring servants. It was also necessary to send someone ahead to the mountain temple to inform them, lest someone unaware of the situation offend the royal party.

The Princess Consort arranged everything, one by one. By the time she returned, it was already late, just the right time to retire for the night.

Her Highness was indeed waiting for her. The moment she returned, the prince pulled her toward the couch. They had shared a bed since their marriage, but no matter how clingy Her Highness was during the day, when it came time to sleep, she would always keep her distance. Forget marital intimacy, even simple touches were rare.

The Princess Consort had found it strange at first, but later grew accustomed to it.

The Prince of Han closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep. The Princess Consort waited a while, then called out softly, “Your Highness.”

There was no reply.

She sat up on the couch. Her Highness was sleeping soundly and peacefully. The brocade quilt was pulled up to her chin, covering the lower half of her face. Her lips were rosy red, her brow was smooth, and her cheeks were soft. Her eyelids were a little red and swollen, as if she had been crying. Even so, she still had the look of someone untroubled by sorrow.

The Princess Consort’s expression softened, and the corners of her lips curved. She got off the couch, picked up a small lamp from the table, and after a brief search of the room, retrieved the box the Prince of Han had just hidden in a flower vase.

Her Highness only ever hid things in a few places: either behind the bookshelf, under the porcelain pillow, or in a flower vase. This box was a bit large, so she had hidden it in a wide-mouthed vase and tossed a few scrolls in after it. In Her Highness’s eyes, this was probably extremely well-hidden.

The Princess Consort opened the box and took out the stack of deeds and the household registration. A complex look appeared in her eyes. When she saw the small, tear-smudged stain on the registration, the Princess Consort sighed softly. She looked toward her sleeping highness on the couch, and the complexity in her eyes vanished, leaving only doting affection and helplessness.