Chapter 7: Power: Controlled with Ease

Seeing Zhao Huairen emerge from the private room, Zhuyu and Qin An, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately approached. “Heir Apparent.”

“Let’s return to the mansion,” Zhao Huairen said.

The dull streets, adorned with peach blossoms, gained a touch of the vibrant energy unique to spring. After catching a whiff of that fresh scent, the fatigue in Zhao Huairen’s eyes faded slightly.

The hoofbeats of the Youzhou Guard had long since faded into the distance, but Zhuque Street remained bustling. Idle vendors gathered in small groups, excitedly discussing the latest gossip from Yanjing.

“Did you all see it just now? With lips as red as cinnabar and teeth like white jade, General Yan is truly handsome!” Sun Amma, the bead hairpin seller, suddenly exclaimed.

“The title of Jade-Faced Asura—hah, Aunt Liu thought it was a joke?” Chen Gouer, the clay figurine peddler, sorted his wares while clicking his tongue. “But let me tell you… no matter how she looks, a female general—it’s still such a pity for the Heir Apparent.”

“Pity about what?” Sun Amma pressed.

Xu Niangzi, the candied hawthorn seller, made a gesture like Xishi clutching her heart, her voice filled with regret. “A gentleman as warm as jade—he’s Zhao Huaijin, the dream lover of so many women in Great Yong!”

“The Heir Apparent is wonderful, sure, but ‘warm as jade’? Well… heh heh.”

“Chen Gouer, don’t beat around the bush here. Spit it out if you have something to say,” Xu Niangzi shot him a glare.

After whetting their appetites, Chen Gouer smugly shook his head, his face screaming “you get it.” “He’s the Vice Minister of Dali Temple. Wait until the day you commit a crime and end up in the imperial prison—then you’ll know if he’s really as jade-like as they say.”

“The Heir Apparent bought my candied hawthorns before. I’ve spoken to him—he’s wonderful!” Infuriated by the slander against her crush, Xu Niangzi gritted her teeth. “Besides! I would never commit a crime and go to prison. As for those evildoers getting their due punishment, that’s only right. The Heir Apparent is simply carrying out Heaven’s justice!”

After her passionate speech, the onlookers chimed in agreement one after another. Just as it seemed Chen Gouer would be overwhelmed, he abruptly changed the subject. “My stall is right next to yours—how come I’ve never seen the Heir Apparent buy from you? Besides, someone of his status wouldn’t eat your candied hawthorns.”

“You’re blind if you didn’t see it—what’s that got to do with me!”

Chen Gouer widened his eyes. “Blind? I think someone’s lying.”

“The Heir Apparent did buy my candied hawthorns—you’re the liar!” Xu Niangzi refused to back down.

As the argument grew fiercer, fearing it might escalate, the bystanders tried to play peacemakers.

“Hey, why are you arguing with her?”

“Good words turning into a fight? How about you both take a step back?”

Having just exited Zhaixiang Tower and witnessed the spectacle, Zhao Huairen pursed her thin lips slightly and spoke. “Qin An, go handle something for me.”

“Yes, right away…”

Seeing Qin An head toward the clay figurine stall, Zhuyu reached out to stop her and shook her head.

“What’s wrong? Doesn’t the Heir Apparent want me to help this young lady out?” Qin An, dressed as a young manservant, turned to Zhuyu with a puzzled look.

Seeing Zhuyu simply stand by Zhao Huairen’s side without further reaction, Qin An instantly understood—the Heir Apparent had other instructions for her.

A complex emotion flashed in her eyes as Zhao Huairen looked toward the distant Imperial Palace. “Go to my private storehouse and pick out some things women would like. Then make a trip to Yuezhen Tower. Tell the manager it’s a gift for General Yan—he’ll prepare everything for you.”

“Yes.” Qin An nodded.

“Wait.” Zhao Huairen hesitated for a moment before adding, “Also… take the landscape painting from the desk in my study along with it.”

Anything else was fine.

But the landscape painting—that was personally painted by the Heir Apparent!

Aside from presenting it to His Majesty, the Heir Apparent had never given away any of her paintings before. This was a first.

Seeing Qin An frozen in place, Zhuyu sighed helplessly and lightly kicked her calf.

“Yes, I’ll go handle it right now.” Qin An snapped back to attention and bowed.

After Qin An left, Zhao Huairen glanced sideways at Zhuyu. “Zhuyu, do you want to know why?”

Like a cold stone devoid of emotion, Zhuyu’s gaze was simple and loyal. The Heir Apparent always caught her off guard, but she didn’t need to know the details—she just needed to carry out every order perfectly.

“The way she looks at me is full of loathing. And rightly so, she should hate me.” Returning to the capital meant clipping her wings. This marriage was an invisible cage for Yan Yiqing, and yet she…

Between the two of them.

The one who was truly to be pitied was Yan Yiqing.

A flicker of apology passed through her eyes, but when Zhao Huairen raised her head again, her face showed no trace of emotion.

Whose gaze? Who should hate the Heir Apparent? Zhuyu was utterly baffled.

“Let’s go. The Heir Apparent will treat you to candied hawthorns.” Her lashes trembled lightly, and the corners of her lips curved into a slight arc as Zhao Huairen stepped toward the noisy crowd.

In Great Yong, official robes symbolized power.

Without a word, the commoners parted to make way for power.

Before Zhuyu could make sense of those two sentences, Zhao Huairen had already stopped in front of Xu Niangzi. “Xu Niangzi, how much for three strings of candied hawthorns?”

Xu Niangzi sniffed, lifting her head. The words “three coppers” stuck in her throat unspoken.

Seeing her stare mutely, mouth agape, the frost at Zhao Huairen’s brows melted away. A hint of amusement colored her phoenix eyes as her clear, gentle voice rang out. “Is one tael of silver enough?”

“N-No… that’s too much.” Xu Niangzi waved her hands frantically.

Zhao Huairen frowned slightly, appearing troubled. “I left in a hurry and forgot to bring coppers.”

Zhuyu reached for her coin pouch to step forward but realized something and abruptly halted.

“No worries! You don’t have to pay.” Catching sight of Chen Gouer’s deflated expression from the corner of her eye, Xu Niangzi laughed heartily and took the three finest strings from her rack. “Here you go, Heir Apparent.”

Zhao Huairen didn’t take them. “One hand money, one hand goods.”

Carefully taking the silver ingot from Zhao Huairen’s palm, her cheeks flushed pomegranate-red, Xu Niangzi bowed her head. “Thank you, Heir Apparent.”

With a slight nod, Zhao Huairen wove through the crowd and handed the other two strings to Zhuyu. “Here, one for you and one for Zhichun.”

After the mistress and servant departed, the crowd erupted in fervent discussion. The young women surrounded Xu Niangzi, eager to hear more about the Heir Apparent from her.

She bit into a hawthorn, its signature tart sweetness spreading in her mouth. Zhao Huairen turned to Zhuyu. “Not bad, right? Why don’t you try some?”

It was a rare moment of carefree abandon from the Heir Apparent. Seeing Zhao Huairen so vividly alive, Zhuyu nodded, a smile blooming on her face.

The Heir Apparent had not yet come of age.

By calculation, she was even a year younger than Zhuyu.

She hadn’t finished chewing one hawthorn when the person before her reverted to her familiar demeanor. The sweetness in her mouth slowly turned into an aching bitterness in her heart.

“I’m not as good as she thinks.”

Zhuyu wanted to comfort Zhao Huairen, but she knew the Heir Apparent needed no one’s pity.

“People get stifled if they hold it in too long. Sometimes, you need to let yourself breathe, so those baseless emotions don’t take hold.” Zhao Huairen’s tone was light, but her gaze swept toward Myriad Treasures Pavilion in the back street. “Is everything set for tomorrow’s auction?”

Her fingertips instinctively brushed the hidden crossbow at her waist, but Zhuyu nodded.

“You’re just a maid from the Duke Mansion right now.”

Touching her weapon first was a habit etched into her bones. Hearing Zhao Huairen’s words, Zhuyu flushed with embarrassment and quickly withdrew her right hand from the crossbow.

“Let’s go. There’s still a play waiting for me to perform at the Duke Mansion.”

Zhuyu nodded and quietly followed behind Zhao Huairen, maintaining a half-step distance between them.