Volume One, Chapter 16: Your Highness, Someone Is Watching. It Wouldn’t Be Proper for Us to Be So Affectionate, Would It?

“Your Highness, is it really necessary for us to show such ‘deep marital affection’?” Song Yaozhu’s fine brows knit tightly, as Xie Lihui’s grip on her shoulder tightened, causing her to wince slightly.

This fellow’s right hand was weak, but his left hand was quite strong.

“Oh, I didn’t notice,” he replied perfunctorily, then released her.

He had just been disgusted by Yuwen Wuji, and the moment he saw Song Yaozhu, he couldn’t fully contain his emotions.

Song Yaozhu, however, didn’t take it to heart. She smoothed her skirt and asked, “When will the Emperor arrive?”

“You want to see him?”

Song Yaozhu caught the sharp undertone in his voice and knew he must have been venting his frustration with Yuwen Wuji again.

But why take it out on her?

Without hesitation, she lightly kicked his calf—not hard, just enough—and Xie Lihui’s eyes cleared immediately. A moment later, he reacted.

“How dare you lay hands on me!” he hissed, disbelief thick in his voice.

“I only used my foot,” Song Yaozhu corrected, feigning innocence. “I was just trying to stretch my legs. Who told Your Highness to stand right there?”

Xie Lihui pressed his lips into a tight line. Aside from his elder sister, no one had ever dared to make a move on him like that!

Both angry and helpless, he swallowed his pride in front of everyone.

“You’re utterly lawless now!”

“You, Your Highness, are my world. I wish I could cradle you in the palm of my hand. How could I possibly be lawless? Besides, you’re so kind-hearted; if it were anyone else, I wouldn’t dare!” Song Yaozhu cupped her hands and winked at him, her expression saying, “See, I’ve got you all figured out.”

Xie Lihui took a deep breath, gripping her wrist with quiet force, grinding his teeth as he growled, “I’ll make you understand that kindness has nothing to do with me!”

Song Yaozhu winced but said smoothly, “Your Highness, people are watching. Isn’t it better if we don’t act so lovey-dovey in public?”

Xie Lihui: “...”

He was defeated. How could there be a woman so stubborn and immune to both soft and hard tactics?

He closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, and forced himself to regain a completely impassive demeanor.

“Today is a perfect opportunity to arrange a marriage for your fourth sister. Make the most of it yourself!”

With that, he took a seat in a corner of the pavilion, his cold gaze fixed on the imperial garden, no longer paying attention to her.

Don’t think a little scheming on her part would so easily catch Yuwen Wuji’s eye for Song Si. If Yuwen Wuji were truly an incompetent fool, he wouldn’t have risen to the throne.

Song Yaozhu knew this well. Mere resemblance was not enough; Song Wenyue could only briefly attract Yuwen Wuji’s interest. Once it faded, he would forget about it altogether.

She needed to fan the flames, stoking the desire burning in Yuwen Wuji’s heart.

Soon, the invited young gentlemen and ladies gathered in the imperial garden. A noble lady “timely suggested” a poetry game, and even recited a line herself, inviting others to continue.

The atmosphere in the garden instantly warmed. The originally shy ladies timidly showed their talents.

From afar, Song Yaozhu watched for a while, then turned to Xie Lihui.

“Your Highness, won’t you offer a few remarks?”

Xie Lihui looked at her as if she were a fool. “Do you think I’m as idle as you?”

“But earlier, you still went to judge the poetry collection of the Marquis of Wuding’s household.”

“That was for money.”

Of course, also to gather better intelligence!

Song Yaozhu didn’t expect that answer; her surprised expression was unmistakable as she stared at Xie Lihui.

Seeing her face, Xie Lihui’s own expression faltered, feeling a sudden shame akin to being caught moonlighting by his wife.

“I only did it to gather information better!” he explained, though the more he said, the worse it sounded.

Song Yaozhu slowly reached out, took the silk fan from his hand, and used it to hide her pitying look.

“You needn’t explain, Your Highness. I understand perfectly.”

“... Understand what exactly?”

Xie Lihui clenched his back teeth and stopped paying attention to her. He didn’t care what Song Yaozhu thought, as long as she didn’t cause trouble!

Turning his gaze back to the imperial garden, the guests had finished one round of poetry games. Now palace attendants were setting up desks for ink grinding and painting.

Song Yaozhu leaned her head against the pavilion pillar, trying to ease the stiffness in her neck.

“The palace always has the same routines year after year. It’s so boring,” she muttered, then turned to ask Xie Lihui again, “When will the Emperor arrive?”

Since she became Empress, the matchmaking banquets followed this pattern: first assess appearances, then talents, then see if the young people got along, and finally arrange engagements in private.

Xie Lihui keenly picked up on her use of “year after year,” as if she had attended countless such banquets.

Yet even though Song Yaozhu grew up in the Song family, she wasn’t qualified to attend these palace banquets annually. Why did she speak as if she had?

Xie Lihui scrutinized her again, suddenly noticing her makeup today was oddly familiar. He was used to her resemblance to her eldest sister and hadn’t paid much attention until now. Today, she seemed to have deliberately exaggerated that resemblance, as if afraid others wouldn’t notice.

Seeing through this, he understood why she had asked him twice about the Emperor’s arrival.

She hoped to use her likeness to her eldest sister to catch Yuwen Wuji’s eye, then make him long for her so intensely that he would settle for admitting Song Si into the palace instead.

But why did she think Yuwen Wuji would fall for her?

Xie Lihui sneered inwardly and coldly said, “Consort, you keep mentioning another man before me. What is this—are you hoping I’ll divorce you?”

Song Yaozhu glanced at him, a flicker of disdain passing through her eyes before vanishing. Still, she played along smoothly, “My eyes and heart belong solely to Your Highness. Are you jealous just because I mentioned the Emperor twice?”

Xie Lihui gave her a cold glare. Such teasing was tolerable once or twice, but too much and it became tiresome.

“Hmph, just don’t let me have to bury you!”

“Well then, remember, I like camellias. If I die, let me become fertilizer for the camellias.”

Xie Lihui’s brow furrowed sharply—his elder sister also liked camellias!

The poetry game in the imperial garden had only just begun its second round when a woman’s cry of pain echoed from the pavilion.

The Free and Easy Princess Consort had been thrown to the ground. Xie Lihui’s demeanor turned solemn as he looked at the woman lying there. After murmuring something, he swept his sleeves and left without a trace of tenderness—completely unlike the affectionate couple he had appeared to be moments before.

“Hurry, help the Consort up!” The Noble Consort quickly ordered attendants to assist Song Yaozhu. Before her words finished, a bright yellow figure had already arrived at the pavilion ahead of the others.