Chapter 428

The heavy, splendid brocade became a shackle; the gold hairpin on her bun felt weighty, and with her vigorous running it fell to the ground, leaving a mark in the snow.

A fierce blade wind swept past her ears; the plump little girl slipped, and her whole body plunged into the bone‑chilling lakeside.

The icy cold water poured over her whole body, submerging her head.

Jiang Zhi, the first to react, steadied her panic, shed her outer clothes, and along the lake bottom tried to swim to safety.

「Boom—! 」

Water splashed up, and she saw a dark shape swimming toward her.

Before she could make out who he was, she had already been dragged out of the ice lake and brought to the shore; Jiang Zhi, her consciousness blurred by the cold, had a hazy vision and vaguely saw Yan Shizhou's face.

She thought she was hallucinating, clutching a corner of his garment with trembling fingers, and gasped:

「Yan…Yan Shizhou, are you…here to take this Princess…away? 」

In the Princess's stereotype, Yan Shizhou was frail and barely clinging to life, not expected to live long. Having fallen into the ice lake and feeling she was about to die, seeing Yan Shizhou made sense to her.

But she was unwilling to die like that.

「You…don't take me…please take me away, okay? This Princess…hasn't lived enough…」

Yan Shizhou lifted her into his arms, listened quietly to her delirious ravings, hurried through the cold night, and returned to the side hall.

Xiao Luzi had been urged by him early on to rest.

Only the two of them remained in the side hall.

After placing the girl on the bed, Yan Shizhou left through the palace gate to fetch hot water, his eyes covered with black cloth to block all sight, then he carried her to the wooden tub filled with hot water.

The chilled princess alternated between crying and babbling incoherently.

After her hot bath, Yan Shizhou brought over the dried inner garments, dressed her in them, and kept his eyes covered with the black cloth the whole time.

Finally he escorted her back to the sleeping palace.

On the bed.

The willful little princess slept soundly, lying on her side and clutching half of his sleeve, refusing to let go.

Everything that happened tonight had a great impact on her.

Yan Shizhou reached out to push aside the black hair shading her eye corner; his fingertips touched her soft, delicate skin, making one unable to let go.

After staying in the sleeping palace for half an hour, he gradually withdrew his sleeve and left silently.

Side hall.

One of the ten chief leaders of the Yunyun Pavilion kneeling on the ground, known in the jianghu as the 'Ghost Hand' Qi Xiao, had a sharp long sword laid across his neck.

「Chief, they have bullied people too much; I merely wanted to avenge the chief. 」"

That day, Crown Prince Jiang Chu subjected the chief to extreme punishment, nearly costing him his life.

The instigator of all this was the Sixteenth Princess Jiang Zhi residing in Jingxi Gong; had she not insisted on making the chief her companion reader, none of this would have happened.

Yan Shizhou brandished his long sword, thrust it into his right shoulder, then pulled it out; blood rolled down the blade tip and dripped onto the ground.

「I said before, none of you may interfere in palace affairs. 」"

Yan Shizhou, reborn in this life, retains vivid memories of his previous one; he began early to cultivate power, practicing martial arts to eliminate rivals.

He fabricated an outward appearance of a sickly, lowly hostage.

He does all this merely to watch those who stand at the top fall from their heights and become like livestock.

In his previous life it was too dull—those people died with a single slash, and even if their bright red blood stained the whole palace, it could not give him the slightest pleasure.

But then an accident occurred.

The princess who used to bully him for fun in his past life now seems like a different person; although her temperament remains as willful and spoiled as ever, the kindness in her bones is the sole touch of beauty in this world.

Her joys, anger, sorrow, and pleasure show on her face; when she says she wants to bully him, her eyes hold no trace of malice, clear and pure like white snow.

Tonight.

His subordinate actually defied his order and nearly killed her.

Yan Shizhou's dark eyes were cold and deep, exuding a deterrent force like black clouds about to rain.

「If this happens again, I will make you wish you were dead. 」"

Although only sixteen years old, the youth's aura radiates an overwhelming pressure, truly bearing the aspect of an emperor.

Qi Xiao trembled with fear, covered his wounded right shoulder, and kowtowed to admit his mistake.

After he left.

Yan Shizhou stood by the window, winter snow plum blossoms braving the wind, the air filled with a faint plum fragrance; he gazed toward the sleeping palace, his silhouette illuminated by candlelight, motionless as a sculpture.

…

The next day.

Xiao Lian suffered serious injuries; fortunately the Imperial Guard arrived in time, otherwise she would not have survived that night.

The Princess was safe and sound, but her chill‑induced fever would not subside; the palace gates were thronged with people, and the Empress anxiously kept watch at her bedside, tears flowing nonstop.

「Why is my child's fate so miserable? 」"

Even in the heavily guarded imperial palace, assassins managed to strike.

The Emperor was therefore furious and severely punished the commander of the Imperial Guard.

Consort Yuan was ten months pregnant and now due to give birth.

The Emperor had no leisure to attend to it, constantly guarding Jingxi Gong.

Until palace attendants delivered the news.

「Your Majesty, Consort Yuan has given birth to a little princess. 」"

For many years, aside from the Sixteenth Princess Jiang Zhi, there had been no second princess in the palace.

This news made the Emperor overjoyed, and he didn't even have time to look after the feverish Sixteenth Princess, hurrying off to Yuan Fei Palace.

The Empress's personal palace maid standing by her side, seeing this, couldn't help but complain: "Sixteenth Princess is still running a high fever; how can Your Majesty do this?"

The Empress gave her a warning glance, then immediately turned her gaze to her daughter lying on the bed, feeling both heartache and chill.

From now on, the Emperor will often stay in the Garden Consort's palace.

She had long grown accustomed to it.

But her daughter would likely be upset.

…

Jiang Zhi, who only woke up in the evening, had a dry mouth and tongue, a sore and parched throat, heavy eyelids, and a weak, feeble body.

"Mother… Mother…"

The Empress brought over hot water and fed it to her.

"Mother is here."

After Jiang Zhi finished drinking the water, her mind cleared a little.

She recalled that she should have died in the icy lake, so how did she end up back in the sleeping palace?

As she thought, she didn't realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud.

The Empress lovingly stroked her face, saying, "My little Zhizhi is still alive; she hasn't died."

Jiang Zhi stared for a moment, "Really?"

She still felt somewhat incredulous.

"Really."

After staying with her in the sleeping palace for a long time, the Empress finally left.

Xiao Lian knelt on the ground, weeping, "Sorry, Your Highness, it's all my fault for failing to protect you."

Jiang Zhi coughed a few times and huffed, "Since you know you failed to protect me, you should get up now and fetch water for Your Highness."

She had run a high fever the whole day, her body severely dehydrated, and even after drinking several cups she still felt thirsty.

Xiao Lian quickly rose, poured water, and brought it to her.

Jiang Zhi saw the bandaged wound on her, and her own complexion turned extremely pale and unsightly.

Xiao Lian had suffered a serious injury.

"Alright, you may leave. Your Highness does not want to smell the blood on you; come back to serve me when your injury has healed."

Having said that, Jiang Zhi impatiently waved her hand.

Xiao Lian knew the Highness was doing this for her own good, and she was moved to the point of her eyes turning red.

…

This cold winter lasted a long time.

Jiang Zhi learned from the palace folk that a new princess had been added to the palace.

The Emperor ran day and night to the Garden Consort's palace; hearing that the princess was especially well-behaved and obedient, never crying or fussing, very fond of laughing, which delighted the Emperor greatly.

Even more so than when she herself was born, she was favored.

This is probably because Jiang Zhi was especially fond of causing trouble as a child; when she cried, she could even overturn the roof.

Everyone in the inner palace felt that a change was coming.

The Sixteenth Princess's favor basically amounted to less than half of the Nineteenth Princess's.

"How dare they gossip behind the master's back! Take them to the Laundry Residence!"

Xiao Lian frowned and rebuked.

The cries and pleas for mercy of the two palace servants gradually faded away.

Jiang Zhi walked over and asked, "What happened?"

Xiao Lian avoided discussing it with those palace maids, saying, "Your Highness, spring has arrived; in a few days you will need to go to the academy."

Jiang Zhi said with a headache, "Your Highness does not want to see the teacher!"

The Crown Prince walked over at this time and said, "I also don't want to see him."

Jiang Zhi saw the visitor and felt somewhat surprised: "Older brother, how did you come here?"

The Crown Prince stopped before her, holding a green plum in his hand and offering it to her: "I know that Sixteenth Younger Sister likes plum blossoms; I picked this along the way for you."

Jiang Zhi didn't take it, raised her eyebrows, and said, "Hmph, I still don't want to speak with my older brother."

Seeing her still angry about his earlier punishment of the scholar Yan Shizhou with a rod, the Crown Prince's shoulders slumped, his head hung low, and he said dejectedly, "I know I was wrong; Sixteenth Younger Sister, don't be angry with me."

Jiang Zhi crossed her arms and reluctantly said, "Alright."

She brought a bench over and sat in the courtyard.

The Crown Prince came to find her for an important matter: "Sixteenth Younger Sister, aren't you going to be angry? Father now dotes on the Nineteenth Princess excessively."

He had heard that the Sixteenth Younger Sister was running a high fever, yet Father had gone to the Garden Consort's palace. Upon hearing this, he rushed over immediately, seething with anger, wishing he could throw the Nineteenth Princess into the pond to feed the fish.

Jiang Zhi dismissed it with contempt: "Something so insignificant isn't even worth making Your Highness angry!"

After saying that, she had Xiao Lian summon Yan Shizhou to come over and accompany her in walking the dog.

The Crown Prince saw that she still had the leisure to walk the dog, and he let out a long sigh.

Really, the Emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is.

…

In early spring, the Yuhua Yuan was lush with green leaves, the ice on the lake's surface gradually melted, the roads were no longer slippery, and the sun shone warmly on one's body.

"You haven't taken Fortune out for a walk in so many days, and Fortune has gotten fat." Jiang Zhi said disdainfully.

Fortune seemed to sense its owner's disdain, and it whined while rubbing against her leg.

She ordered the youth beside her: "Run a few more laps, no slacking!"

Yan Shizhou: "I understand."

Jiang Zhi had already grown accustomed to his taciturn nature.

Back and forth, just those few sentences: 'I understand, I know, I will not fail the trust placed in me by Your Highness'...

She had grown tired of hearing it.

Let him walk Wangcai while she sat in the Yuhua Yuan pavilion, drinking tea and eating pastries.

"This is delicious!" She tasted a piece of milk‑flavored pastry, rich in milky aroma, not sweet or greasy, with a filling that gave off a faint fragrance.

Xiao Lian poured her a cup of cow‑milk tea.

Not long after.

Jiang Zhi saw a group of people blocking Yan Shizhou not far away.

They were mighty and imposing, their display even more extravagant than the Empress's.

At this moment, only someone deeply favored by the emperor could command such a presence in the palace: Consort Yuan.

All that could be seen was her holding the Nineteenth Princess, looking down at Yan Shizhou, recognizing him as the hostage sent by Chongyuan State and as the Sixteenth Princess's study companion.

Wangcai was keen, sensing the malice of the people before him, and could not help but bark fiercely.

"Woof woof woof!"

Wangcai was tall and sturdy, his aura astonishing, frightening the palace attendants so they dared not step forward.

Consort Yuan gave a cold laugh: "What beast dares block my path? Seize it, someone!"

Several eunuchs, having received the order, stepped forward.

Yan Shizhou pulled Wangcai behind him and said to it, "Do not hurt anyone."

Wangcai was smart; though he couldn't understand his words, he could grasp the meaning from his tone.

He had no choice but to suppress his aggression and stay meekly behind him.

"Greetings, Consort Yuan, your ladyship; I will take it back at once, meaning no disrespect to your ladyship, and I beg your ladyship's mercy to spare it."

The words had just fallen.

Jiang Zhi strode over with a fierce aura, speaking impatiently: "When does my lord's Wangcai need anyone's forgiveness?"

She gave Consort Yuan a cold glance, saying, "I'd like to see who dares, unafraid of death, to seize my lord's Wangcai!"

Seeing her, Consort Yuan felt contempt but kept a gentle, soft expression: "Oh, it's just the Sixteenth Princess's dog—I didn't know."

Jiang Zhi snorted, unimpressed: "Move aside! Wangcai needs to walk—make way for my lord!"