The most dissolute couple in the capital

Inside the palace, the emperor stood in the same spot, looking in the direction where his brother had disappeared, and remained silent for a long while.

The Empress put down her paintbrush, wiped the ink stains from her fingertips with a handkerchief, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, why bother with him? Chengjing has always been like this since he was a child; the more serious you are, the more mischievous he becomes."

"I'm serious?" The emperor turned to look at her, scoffed, "I'm his own brother, if I'm not serious, who is?"

"Then he's your younger brother too." The Empress walked to his side, straightened his collar which had been slightly wrinkled from the movement, and said gently, "His way of going to see his fiancée was inappropriate, but his intentions were good. Since nothing has gone wrong with the Cui family, let him be."

The emperor sighed and sat back down behind his desk.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and when he put the cup down, most of the annoyance on his face had dissipated.

"What do you think of that girl from the Cui family?"

The Empress thought for a moment, picked up her brush, and added a stroke to the painting: "The Empress Dowager met her the other day and said that this woman is dignified in appearance, composed in her actions, and, more importantly, neither servile nor arrogant. Given Chengjing's personality, he certainly needs such a reliable person by his side."

"It's certainly safe," the emperor said, rubbing his temples, "but her background is rather low. She's a daughter of a collateral branch of the family, and her father was only a sixth-rank secretary. She's marrying a prince... I'm afraid some people in the court will gossip about it."

"Gossip?" The Empress smiled, put down her pen, and looked at him. "If Your Majesty cares about gossip, you shouldn't have married me in the first place."

The emperor was taken aback, then chuckled, "You're trying to shut me up."

"How dare I?" The Empress turned to look at her painting, wondering if she should make some more changes.

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Watching the Empress's retreating figure, the Emperor suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, what are your thoughts on Zhao'er's marriage?"

The Empress paused slightly as she held the pen.

Li Zhao was the Empress's only child. She injured her body during childbirth and could not conceive again afterward.

According to the rules of the Great Jing Dynasty, a princess could be engaged after reaching the age of marriage. Li Zhao is already twenty years old this year; in the past, women of this age would probably already have children.

However, Li Zhao's marriage was repeatedly postponed.

The reason is simple: the Empress once raised a highly controversial point of view in the palace: if a woman marries and gives birth too early, it will seriously harm her health and may shorten her lifespan.

Upon hearing this, the upright officials and gentry in the court opposed it, saying that the empress's statement violated human ethics and moral principles. However, the emperor overruled the objections and ordered the Imperial Medical Academy to compile a medical record on women's reproductive age and send it to local government offices.

Following the example set by those above, many noble ladies postponed their weddings, making Cui Qingyi's marriage relatively early.

Now that Li Zhao is over twenty, he still hasn't chosen a husband.

The Empress put down her paintbrush, walked to sit opposite the Emperor, and said calmly, "I have considered Zhao'er's matter. If it is in my opinion, keeping her for another two years would not be a problem. However..."

She paused, then looked at the emperor with gentle eyes.

"His Majesty is surely aware of how many invitations those old ladies from noble families have sent, both openly and secretly, to inquire about the situation. Those sons in their families who specifically postponed their marriages for the sake of marrying the princess are probably quite anxious as well."

The emperor tapped the table lightly, making a soft sound.

Seeing that he remained silent, the Empress did not urge him, but simply smiled and added, "Of course, these are just my humble opinions. After all, Zhao'er is His Majesty's eldest daughter, and her marriage should be decided by His Majesty."

The emperor raised his eyes and looked at the empress.

His gaze was deep, as if reflecting many things—the undercurrents in the court, the thoughts of his sons, and some further, still-developing considerations.

"I understand," he said softly. "This matter is not urgent; allow me to think about it some more."

The Queen looked into his eyes and read something in that flickering expression that she had anticipated but had never explicitly said.

She didn't ask any further questions.

He simply nodded, stood up again, and walked back to his drawing table.

"Your Majesty's ink is a bit too thick," she changed the subject, pointing to the ink in the inkstone with a hint of teasing, "next time, grind it more evenly, don't over-grind it."

The emperor snapped out of his reverie, glanced down at the inkstone, and indeed the ink was so thick it was almost glossy.

"...I was distracted just now."

The Empress did not turn around, but simply picked up her brush and wrote a single orchid petal, saying calmly, "It is rare to see His Majesty so absent-minded."

The conversation between the emperor and empress ended there, and no one mentioned Li Zhao's marriage again.

Outside the hall, the evening breeze began to rise, and twilight filtered through the window, casting a thin layer of golden light on the unfinished orchid painting.

---

The Liang Prince's Mansion.

When Li Chengjing returned to his residence, it was already dark.

Zhao Lu led the horse to the stable for him, while he strolled through the covered walkway and stopped abruptly when he passed the flower hall.

"Zhao Lu." He called to the attendant who was about to leave.

"Your Highness, what is it?"

"Do you think my brother deliberately painted there to wait for me today?" Li Chengjing stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhao Lu answered cautiously, "Why does Your Highness say such a thing?"

"Think about it," Li Chengjing said, counting on his fingers, "If my sister-in-law were here, no matter how angry my brother was with me, he couldn't really do anything to me, since my sister-in-law was watching."

Zhao Lu: "...Your Highness is overthinking it, isn't he?"

"No, no, listen to me." The more Li Chengjing thought about it, the more sense it made. "He knew I'd cause trouble if I came, so he called my sister-in-law over beforehand to keep things under control. That way, someone would smooth things over when he scolded me, and someone would be watching if he kicked me, so he wouldn't go too far. Think about it, isn't that how it works?"

Zhao Lu just felt that what if both of them made a move?

But he dared not say it.

"Your Highness is wise."

"That's right." Li Chengjing walked towards the backyard with satisfaction, then turned back after a few steps.

"By the way, go to the He family tomorrow and ask He Li and Wang Chengyuan to come. I have something to discuss with them."

"What is it?"

"I have a gift to deliver," Lee Seung-kyung said with utmost seriousness.

Zhao Lu: "Yes."

The moonlight fell on the glazed tiles of the Liang Prince's Mansion, reflecting a clear and bright light.

Li Chengjing walked into the backyard, where the chubby little boy was already waiting on the steps. As soon as he saw him, the boy meowed and jumped down to rub against his feet.

"Come here, come here." Li Chengjing squatted down, picked up the cat, and under the moonlight, the two stared at each other.

"Little chubby boy, tell me, am I pretty or not?"

The chubby boy yawned and patted his face with his paw.

"See? I knew it." Lee Seung-kyung nodded in satisfaction, then carried the cat into the house.

There are still two months until the wedding.

Two months later, he would be able to see Cui Qingyi openly and without having to climb over the wall anymore.

This idea made him happy all night.

---

Meanwhile, in the imperial study, the emperor remained alone at his desk.

The Empress has already gone back to rest, but the orchid painting is still on the table, the ink not yet dry.

He picked up the painting and looked at it for a long time.

Then he put down the painting and took out another booklet from the drawer—a secret report from the Dali Temple about the Second Prince Li Han's recent secret contact with several local officials in the East Market.

There are two more documents, one about the Third Prince and the other about the Fifth Prince.

The emperor read through the folded documents one by one, then closed them and put them aside.

He glanced at the orchid painting again.

Orchids grow in secluded valleys, their fragrance undiminished even when no one is there to appreciate them.

"Zhao'er's marriage..." he murmured to himself, his voice lost in the empty hall.

He didn't finish his sentence.

The night breeze squeezed in through the cracks in the window, the candlelight flickered, and his shadow stretched long.

There are some things he doesn't want to say, but once he says them, there's no turning back.