Volume One, Chapter Four: We Are One Flesh—What’s Yours Is Mine
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The nurse Qin led some attendants to the storeroom to fetch a list, leaving two maids to accompany Song Yaozhu on a stroll around the courtyard.
Though most autumn scenery had withered, the setting within the prince’s mansion was far from bleak. The Osmanthus blossoms filled the air with fragrance, their golden hues vivid and bright. Along the paths, chrysanthemums gleamed like gold, interspersed with strikingly red spider lilies standing tall and vibrant with life.
The brilliant colors brought a surge of joy to Song Yaozhu’s heart, finally giving her a tangible sense of truly being alive.
She bent down to pick a flower but was hastily stopped by a maid.
“Your Highness, you must not! These flowers are carefully tended by the prince himself and cannot be picked!”
Song Yaozhu looked at the maid in puzzlement. She did not recall Xie Liwei having any fondness for gardening. Previously, a thorny spherical plant called the King Tree was presented as tribute from a desert kingdom; she had found it novel and kept it herself, only to be teased by him for having an old-fashioned mindset.
Without hesitation, Song Yaozhu plucked a red rose. The two maids, terrified, clung to each other and exchanged a glance full of fear.
The princess must have her reasons for doing this!
She gathered a few more bouquets, casually asking, “How long have you been serving in the mansion? When did you arrive?”
“We are Caijin and Caiyin, born servants of the Xie family. Ten years ago, after the prince escorted the spirit back to Chenliu, the emperor, in remembrance of the late empress and gratitude for the Xie family’s meritorious service, bestowed the title of Prince Xiaoyao upon the prince. It was then we came to the capital with him.”
So they were locals—no wonder they seemed unfamiliar to her. Since she became aide to Yuwen Wuji at fourteen, she had never returned home.
Yuwen Wuji was truly bold yet cautious of gossip. The Xie family held nearly half the key positions in court, and if they all stepped down, it would arouse suspicion. Thus, the emperor granted an empty title to the prince to silence rumors, while also keeping him in the capital as a hostage.
The emperor’s political cunning was indeed masterful.
Dealing with Yuwen Wuji required patience. She was no longer the empress with countless followers but a third young lady from the Song Grand Tutor’s household, now fallen to the common folk and reclaimed only to marry on behalf of her sister. With such disparity, she could only proceed cautiously.
Her sole support now was Xie Liwei.
Whether confronting the Song family or Yuwen Wuji... yet she wished not to implicate him.
Remembering Yuwen Wuji’s gaze when she entered the palace today, could he expect her to go before him in this guise?
The thought was immediately discarded. She despised that man too much to serve him again in the palace.
It seemed she could only win over Xie Liwei, the one she trusted most, and when necessary, reveal her true identity to him. That should pose no problem.
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Having made up her mind, Song Yaozhu gathered a handful of flowers and rose.
“Take me to the study.”
Xie Liwei had no other hobbies but to immerse himself in reading and writing in his study. Others said he was steady, but to her, he was merely dull.
Without hesitation, she went to his study, only to be stopped by the hesitant page boy outside. Though she was their mistress, the prince had not given permission, so they dared not let her pass freely.
“I have come to discuss the matter of returning to my natal home with the prince.”
The page boy hesitated. “The prince is not in the study. Perhaps Your Highness would wait in the courtyard?”
Song Yaozhu frowned slightly. By her guess, Xie Liwei was merely a prince in name without official duties; where else could he be?
“What does the prince usually do?”
The page boy scratched his head. “He usually attends poetry gatherings or listens to music and fragrances with friends.”
Hearing this, a pang of sadness struck Song Yaozhu. Once a spirited youth, well-read and hopeful to govern the nation, he was now forced to live as an idle prince. How could one not feel regret?
“Go ask where the prince has gone. I have matters to discuss with him.” She handed the page a bunch of flowers. “Place these in the study to brighten his mood while reading.”
The page accepted them nervously.
After returning from the riding grounds, Xie Liwei entered the study. Seeing the brightly colored chrysanthemums arranged on the desk, his heart tightened, and his eyelids twitched.
He used to bury himself in books in that study. His sister, concerned he might wither away, would change the flowers daily, saying beautiful blossoms would brighten his spirits and hoped he would always be happy while reading.
Since her death, no one had placed flowers on his desk.
“Where did these flowers come from?”
Hearing the prince’s cold voice, the page swallowed and said, “This morning, the princess sent them and asked me to place them on your desk.”
He then noticed the prince’s expression darkening further.
“The princess said she wishes to discuss returning to her natal home with you.”
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“Where is she now?” Xie Liwei suppressed his emotions; it had been a long time since he lost control like this.
Song Yaozhu’s resemblance to his late sister was no accident. By carefully observing their interactions, he could glean some insights. Her deliberate imitation of his sister suggested the Song family harbored some strange intentions.
“She’s in the Tingxue Courtyard.”
Xie Liwei’s brow furrowed sharply. Tingxue Courtyard was his own domain. When she married in, nurse Qin had arranged for her to stay in Biluo Courtyard.
He strode toward the courtyard, calming himself on the way. If Song Yaozhu harbored ulterior motives, he could use her to probe the Song family’s plans.
Entering the main hall, he found the furnishings rearranged by Song Yaozhu, which reignited his suppressed anger.
“Song Yaozhu!”
She came running out from the inner room. “What is it?”
Her wide eyes were filled with confusion. Seeing Xie Liwei silent, she took the initiative. “I thought your room looked dreary, so I went with nurse Qin to the storeroom and picked some fresh things to replace them. Don’t you think it looks better?”
Her earnest expression gradually mirrored the memory of Xie Wanqing, his sister, stirring a tumult of emotions within him.
After a long silence, he said coldly, “Who do you think you are, daring to touch my things?”
Those words pinned Song Yaozhu to the spot. She pressed her lips tightly.
In Xie Liwei’s eyes, she was but a burden forced upon the prince’s mansion. Yet she still regarded him as a brother.
He had never liked others touching his belongings but made an exception for her—because she was his sister, free to take or leave anything.
But she was no longer Xie Wanqing. She was now Song Yaozhu, no longer the sister favored by Xie Liwei.
After a few breaths, swallowing the bitterness in her heart, she placed the ornaments on the table.
“Is it that I have forgotten my identity, or that the prince has? We are husband and wife, one flesh and blood. What is yours is mine. Why shouldn’t I touch them?”