The three people behind Yu Jun were headed by Aunt Baohua, the head matron of the Jade Splendor Palace. To her left and right were two palace maids under her charge, Ru Cui and Ru Ning.
Ru Cui, having been scolded earlier for saying the wrong thing, was a little hesitant to speak now.
Ru Ning said: “Your Highness, most likely they’re talking about that unfavored little prince in the Cold Palace.”
At that moment, the eunuchs tending the Imperial Garden thought no one would come in such cold weather, and were gradually throwing caution to the wind.
“His Majesty probably doesn’t even remember such a person exists. And that palace maid has gone mad. It’ll probably be like this for the rest of their lives.”
“Indeed. They say the mother gains status through her son, but in our palace now, it’s the son gaining status through the mother. Look at Consort De in the Palace of Cloud Construction, she practically has more of the manner of one who mothers the whole realm than our Empress…”
“Shh! Such words shouldn’t be spoken carelessly! Aren’t you afraid of losing your head?”
“Am I not telling the truth? The court is in an uproar over this lately. I heard many officials are supporting the Third Prince…”
“Keep your voice down.”
“It’s freezing cold, and no one’s around… What’s there to fear?”
“Didn’t Princess Yu Jun come earlier, and even picked the early-blooming wintersweet?”
“This Highness is a bit different from ordinary people. I imagine besides her, absolutely no one else will come.”
“Speaking of this Highness…”
Yu Jun, hearing the conversation had turned to her, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
But given her status, if she showed herself now, it would probably be hard to let them off without beating at least two of them to death.
Especially since they were already talking about her—if these gossips said anything else unpleasant, whether she stepped forward to deal with it or turned and left, it would put her in a difficult position either way.
She decided it was better to leave first and avoid the trouble.
Just as she was about to turn around, she heard a voice ring out behind her, calling: “Second Brother, what are you doing there? Wait… why are you leaving?”
Someone walked past from behind Yu Jun. This person winked at her, then marched with great pomp to the front of the Imperial Garden gate.
Yu Jun suddenly understood. She hurriedly pulled Aunt Baohua and the others back, hiding in the nearby gatehouse alcove.
A sudden commotion erupted within the Imperial Garden, immediately followed by the voices of several eunuchs paying their respects, flustered and panicked: “We pay respects to the Third Highness!”
The newcomer was none other than the Third Prince, Zhou Jin. Zhou Jin looked at them with narrowed, smiling eyes and said: “Oh my, so many people here. Were you just talking to the Second Highness?”
The eunuchs’ faces turned green: “We… we did not see the Second Highness…”
“That’s strange. I clearly saw him standing right here just now, looking very angry. When I called him, he just walked away swiftly without a word. I thought someone had provoked him!”
Zhou Jin looked perfectly innocent, scratching his head: “Well, never mind, never mind. Can’t catch up to him now…”
He tossed off these two lines, clasped his hands behind his head, and turned around on his own, completely ignoring the eunuchs behind him who looked like a nest that had been blasted open.
Zhou Jin walked up to Yu Jun and raised an eyebrow at her: “How did I do?”
Even now, they could faintly hear the eunuchs’ panicked voices: “What do we do? What we said was heard by the Second Highness!”
“The Second Highness has the strictest temperament. We’re finished! We’re dead men!”
Yu Jun sighed: “Third Highness! Since you were going to step in, why use Second Brother’s name?”
Zhou Jin said righteously: “I didn’t want to be the bad guy. Naturally I had to drag out the most intimidating one to take the blame.” Seeing Yu Jun frown, he tapped the tip of her nose: “Look at you, you little thing, still unhappy! Who am I sticking my neck out for? I knew it wasn’t convenient for you to go out and chastise them, but we couldn’t just let them off scot-free either, lest they become even more reckless in the future. What’s more terrifying than Second Brother’s name? After this, I’m afraid they won’t have an easy time of it, and will at least restrain themselves and watch their mouths.”
Yu Jun said: “Aren’t you afraid Second Brother will find out and blame you?”
Zhou Jin walked alongside her as they moved forward: “If it were for my own affairs, he probably wouldn’t let me off. But if it involves you, I think he’d be quite willing.”
Yu Jun shook her head. Seeing him following her, she said: “Third Highness, where are you going?”
Zhou Jin said: “Call me Third Brother.”
Yu Jun pressed her lips together, her eyes dodging a little: “This road leads towards my palace.”
Zhou Jin watched her long lashes, like small fans, flutter slightly, and his face showed even more of a teasing smile: “Going to sit for a bit at your place. What, is that not allowed?”
“Allowed, of course allowed.” Yu Jun was helpless.
Behind her, Aunt Baohua quickly said: “We couldn’t ask for more than to have Your Highness visit.”
Zhou Jin laughed: “Aunt Baohua always says such pleasant things. To be honest, as I was coming, I saw the Empress had sent a wonderfully fragrant hot pot to the Jade Splendor Palace. So I made up my mind to go share a meal with you.”
Saying this, he scrutinized Yu Jun, who hadn’t responded, and leaned down to stare at her: “Come to think of it, I find it strange. Originally, the Empress was seeing no one, couldn’t rest or eat. So why did she see just you? And then, after seeing you, she immediately ordered a meal?”
Yu Jun sensed him drawing too close and subtly leaned back half a step: “I… how would I know? I merely followed the usual protocol and went to pay respects to the Empress, just said a few words from the heart.” Her eyes darted: “Oh right, it must have been because I brought Her Ladyship a few branches of freshly bloomed wintersweet. That scent is so fresh and light—once Her Ladyship smelled it, her spirits naturally lifted… Something like that, in any case.”
Zhou Jin smiled meaningfully, as if he had long seen through it: “Is that so? Then one of these days, how about you pick a few branches for me too, so my spirits can lift and my appetite increase?”
Yu Jun offered a perfunctory smile: “If Third Highness likes, you can go pick some yourself… Or just give the order, and naturally a great heap of wintersweet will be delivered to you.”
Zhou Jin’s slender eyes narrowed slightly: “When you see the Crown Prince, you call him Brother Crown Prince. Naturally, it’s the same with Old Second. Even with Old Fourth, you treat him equally. So why is it so hard for you to call me Third Brother just once?”
Yu Jun lowered her head and said softly: “It’s not that I’m unwilling. I just worry… that malicious people would say I’m trying to curry favor by aiming too high.”
Zhou Jin’s expression darkened: “Who said something to you again?”
Yu Jun smiled faintly: “No one. I’m just being overly sensitive myself. After all, I am somewhat closer to the Empress. If I also go out of my way to cling to Third Highness, it would inevitably invite gossip. Besides, it’s just a form of address. As long as I hold you dear in my heart, whether I call you Third Highness or Third Brother, it’s all the same.”
Hearing her say “hold you dear in my heart,” Zhou Jin’s dark expression eased a little: “Oh? So Little Five does have this Third Brother in her heart?”
Yu Jun said: “Of course. Just like Brother Crown Prince and Second Brother—I naturally hold them dear in my heart too.”
Zhou Jin was half a head taller than her. His gaze fell upon the slender, snow-white nape of her neck revealed when she lowered her head. She was like a jade figurine.
“Hmph,” he snorted, but he heard the implication in her words, yet didn’t press her further. He reached out and grabbed her arm: “Let’s go. I’m hungry. Let’s head back and eat.”
Yu Jun was dragged along involuntarily, forced to quicken her steps: “Third Brother, let go of me.”
Zhou Jin liked the sound of that. He deliberately sped up his pace, laughing: “So you can call me that after all. I won’t let go…”
Behind them, Aunt Baohua called anxiously: “Third Highness, it’s no laughing matter if someone falls.”
Faced with this Third Prince, who was like a smiling tiger, she really didn’t dare rush to stop him and could only gently remonstrate as best she could.
Yu Jun, dragged along against her will, threatened somewhat angrily: “Third Highness, running is forbidden inside the palace… When the people from the Palace of Cloud Construction see this, they won’t just talk about me.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve never feared such talk. If you’re scared, I’ll take the blame.”
“You really are…”
Only when they were almost at the palace gate did Zhou Jin slow his pace.
Yu Jun seized the chance to wrench her arm free, rubbing where his grip had made it ache, and glared fiercely at him.
Zhou Jin wore a face full of smiles, watching her huffy expression: “Yu’er, do you remember when you were little? I often carried you on my back, running wild all over the palace?”
Yu Jun was taken aback. Much of the anger in her heart dissipated. She lowered her head and said nothing.
Zhou Jin watched her rubbing her arm and asked softly: “Did I hurt you? Sorry, I didn’t mean to. Let me blow on it.”
Yu Jun hastily pushed him away: “Third Brother, we’re not children anymore. We’re so grown up now, and you still act so improperly… If the palace servants see and spread it around, it won’t be good for either of us.”
A hint of sadness showed in Zhou Jin’s eyes: “Tell me, when did we start becoming strangers?”
Yu Jun’s lips moved but no words came. Since when? Perhaps… since Consort De and the Empress began their open confrontation.
She was, after all, raised by the Empress Dowager and the Empress. Even though she and Zhou Jin had grown up together from childhood, if she still acted without reserve, without regard for propriety, some ugly words were bound to emerge inevitably.
Actually, at first, Yu Jun hadn’t paid much attention to these rules. But earlier, when she went with Zhou Jin to the Palace of Cloud Construction, Consort De’s people were always very guarded against her, as if she were some kind of rat that had snuck into the palace, ready to let loose poison or plague at any moment. Over time, Yu Jun understood.
Consort De saw her as the Empress’s person, so naturally she had to be on guard. She was even rather unwilling to let Yu Jun and Zhou Jin get close.
After Yu Jun understood this, she couldn’t help but feel sad. Because among the princes, Zhou Jin was the one whose temperament matched hers best. The Crown Prince had known his responsibilities from childhood and deliberately watched his words and actions. The Second Prince, too, was taught by great Confucian scholars, always a gentleman’s demeanor, even more serious and unsmiling than the Crown Prince. The Fourth Prince was somewhat simple and honest. Only Zhou Jin was wild and free, with no taboos.
In their childhood, the two of them had certainly caused heaven and earth to turn upside down, getting into trouble together, enduring punishment together. Losing this “playmate” naturally made Yu Jun grieve.
But she needed to sever ties, even though she couldn’t bear it in her heart.
From the moment she understood, she never went to the Palace of Cloud Construction again and tried her best to avoid Zhou Jin.
Zhou Jin vaguely understood. After all, Consort De was of that domineering nature, and she guarded Zhou Jin as jealously as the apple of her eye.
There had once been a trusted palace maid at Zhou Jin’s side who developed inappropriate intentions. One day, she disappeared without a trace, mysteriously.
Zhou Jin was very worried Consort De would do something to Yu Jun. But he couldn’t do what Yu Jun did—cut ties just like that.
He even argued privately with Consort De about it. Consort De doted on him greatly and personally promised: “It’s not that I dislike the child. I’m just guarding against the Central Palace. If you like to be close to her, go right ahead… but you must understand, when I guard against her, the Central Palace is naturally guarding against you too. If you’re not afraid that your closeness to her will make the Central Palace suspicious of her, then go ahead.”
Consort De indeed knew well how to handle Zhou Jin. She hadn’t forcibly forbidden him from approaching Yu Jun, but these few words were like invisible ropes, binding Zhou Jin’s feet.