Chapter 3: Resistance He didn’t seem to understand her as well as he’d imagined…

“Your Highness… Your Highness?”

Pei Yu’s eyes snapped open, meeting those clear, almond-shaped ones.

What caught his eye was a pale blue curtain embroidered with bamboo. Clearly, just moments ago, it had been a fiery red, embroidered with twin lotus flowers… No, that was a dream.

“Your Highness?”

Ming Yunzhi sat up, her long hair falling softly over her shoulders, a few strands still disheveled, clearly from her hasty rise. “But you’ve been tired lately, and you had a nightmare?”

Pei Yu’s reaction was unusually slow. For the first time in his twenty-plus years, he began to doubt the distinction between reality and illusion. After a moment, he raised his hand and rubbed his eyes. “No.”

Of course, it wasn’t a nightmare. How could a nightmare be considered a nightmare on the day of his wedding to his wife? It’s just…

He silently lowered his hand. Perhaps it was a rare memory, a mixture of reality and illusion, that truly brought back that day, even bringing back many details he hadn’t considered at first.

Thinking of this, Pei Yu’s eyebrows twitched. Were his words that day truly so cold?

Why else would her bright eyes, at his words, slowly dim like a candle?

The man’s throat rolled, and he looked away: “Did I wake you?”

Ming Yunzhi shook his head. “I’m a light sleeper. I should be awake at this time on ordinary days.”

Light sleeper?

Pei Yu felt something was amiss. He seemed to remember…

Before he could say anything, Ming Yunzhi said, “Your Highness, what would you like for breakfast? My fifth brother and his wife are coming to the palace to express their gratitude today, and we don’t want to miss the time.”

“As usual,” Pei Yu replied calmly, rising and putting on his clothes.

Ming Yunzhi bit her lip, watching him go change, and finally, the breath she’d been holding finally relaxed.

She wondered what Pei Yu had dreamed about, but the look in his eyes when he woke up… seemed to have something extra in it, making her extremely uncomfortable, even wanting to escape.

Longing, restraint, and a thick layer of possession—that wasn’t the look in his eyes. He was usually aloof, his composure unwavering in the face of everything, and she was used to this Pei Yu.

But that one look, even if separated by thousands of miles, wouldn’t have lost an ounce of its fiery intensity.

Ming Yunzhi rose, dressed, and had breakfast with Pei Yu. After a while, she could see that the man before her had returned to the familiar look she once knew. The gaze that had left her with no escape had faded, and she finally felt relieved.

Before leaving, a young palace maid, holding up several sachets, asked, “Your Highness, which one would you like to wear today?”

Everyone in the Eastern Palace knew that the Crown Princess loved perfume. She always kept her sachets with her, and her sleeves were always filled with fragrance.

Ming Yunzhi’s gaze fell on the walnut tray, and he stroked his wrist.

Qing Wu, knowing her concerns, immediately said, “Look at these, they’re all worn. How can you give Your Highness such things? Take them away quickly; they won’t be used today.”

The young palace maid stepped back, and before she could leave, she heard Pei Yu say, “Worn?”

His voice was low, carrying a heavy sense of authority. The eunuch beside him naturally presented the sachets for him to examine.

Seeing that the color was indeed not as vibrant as before, and the fragrance was slightly weaker, Pei Yu snorted coldly, “How can the people in the Clothing Bureau do their job? They dare to be so perfunctory about something the Crown Princess wants?”

He didn’t need to say anything more. The eunuch in attendance bowed and headed for the Clothing Bureau. The palace maid had been trembling with fear, fearing that she might be implicated, when she heard the Crown Princess speak softly:

“It’s just the beginning of autumn, and the Clothing Bureau is rushing to make new clothes. It’s also with my fifth brother’s wedding, so they’re very busy, so it’s normal for some omissions. Such trivial matters can be handled by a maid. There’s no need to mobilize a large force.”

She waved her hand, letting the young maid go. “Your Highness, my fifth brother and his companions should be arriving soon.”

Perceiving the hidden meaning in her words, Pei Yu paused for a moment and said, “In that case, let’s go.”

The Eastern Palace was some distance from the Empress’s Changqiu Palace. Ming Yunzhi lowered her eyes and walked half a step behind Pei Yu, neither too far nor too close.

Perhaps because she wasn’t wearing any perfume, she could more distinctly detect the faint scent of agarwood on Pei Yu. It was as if the strange, alluring aroma of chalcedony had never existed, as if everything last night had been nothing but an illusion.

Ming Yunzhi’s steps deepened. This was real, not fake; she should understand that. After Yao Yuzhu returned home in a few days, she would choose a free day to speak with the Empress and begin the process of finding a concubine.

“Second brother, second sister-in-law!”

Ming Yunzhi looked up and saw the Prince of Qi and his wife approaching from the west corner gate. They held each other’s arms and addressed her affectionately.

“Even after getting married, you’re still so unstable.”

The Prince of Qi approached Pei Yu and was immediately reprimanded, blushing. “Second brother! Yuzhu is still here. Please give me some face.”

Yao Yuzhu pinched him. “It’s not the first time I’ve known your character. I should let my second brother teach you a lesson.”

“Why scold him on such a happy day?” Ming Yunzhi smiled faintly. “There’s no need to act like a big brother now. You’ll be fine later.”

The Prince of Qi chuckled. “Second sister-in-law is the best. She’s the only one who speaks up for me.”

Since they had met on the road, they headed for Changqiu Palace together. The Prince of Qi walked behind his second brother and sister-in-law, holding Yao Yuzhu’s hand. Ming Yunzhi listened to the young couple’s endless whispers and couldn’t help but smile. “What a young couple’s love.”

Pei Yu glanced back and saw the two of them standing awkwardly together. He frowned subconsciously. This was in the palace, and they were so unruly. Really…

Ming Yunzhi noticed his expression, afraid he’d spoil the mood with another word, so she reached out and tugged at his sleeve.

The moment they drew closer, a faint orchid-like fragrance lingered. Though she wasn’t wearing a sachet, the elegant scent lingered around her nose and flowed up through her jet-black hair.

“Your Highness,” she whispered softly, “young man, please don’t be too harsh.”

Pei Yu lowered his eyes, watching the ink-black sleeve his fingertips lightly grasped.

As they drew closer, he realized how far they had been.

He whispered, raising his eyebrows calmly, “Never mind. Let them be.”

Ming Yunzhi breathed a sigh of relief. The moment he released his hand, a large hand gripped his wrist.

The dry, hot palm pressed against his pulse, and the touch of his fingertips brought a tingling sensation.

“Your Highness—”

She suddenly looked up, her steps pausing as she stared at Pei Yu in astonishment.

“…Is the wound on your hand healed?”

Pei Yu’s gaze swept over her fingertips, casually asking.

“It wasn’t a serious injury, thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”

Ming Yunzhi’s breath hitched, and she withdrew her hand, tucking it into her sleeve. Except on the couch, she wasn’t used to such intimacy, nor such close proximity.

The closer she got to the scent of agarwood, the more it reminded her of the strange aroma of chalcedony last night. She couldn’t even consider whether Pei Yu’s concern was genuine or a passing impulse.

Her heart shouldn’t be in turmoil any longer.

Pei Yu couldn’t help but frown.

If he hadn’t noticed right now, he would have been incredibly slow—his Crown Princess treated him like a scourge, avoiding him like a scourge.

–
In Changqiu Palace, there was a scene of conversation and laughter, a harmonious atmosphere. Pei Yu drank a cup of tea and placed it beside him, blandly.

The tea in the Queen’s palace was a rare treasure, but for some reason, his mind was inextricably drawn to the tea he hadn’t tasted last night. The crystal-clear tea, the emerald green porcelain, and the soft hand that had gently held the cup to him.

Was it because of… that tea?

She had carefully brewed it, even getting burned by it, and yet he hadn’t tasted it?

And just because of that, she had such a strong opinion of him?

For the first time, Pei Yu felt a bit awkward. In their three years of marriage, this was the first time he felt such a strong sense of his wife’s emotions, especially the resistance that threatened to spill out of her downcast eyes.

He pursed his lips, his gaze once again sweeping over his wife’s face. Her profile remained the same as before, a faint smile in her eyes as she chatted casually with the princesses, without a trace of displeasure.

Pei Yu sat for a moment, refilling his bland tea. After finishing his second cup, he breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, saying, “Mother, I have important matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Go ahead. Leave your wife here with me.”

Queen Chen, perhaps extremely pleased with Prince Qi’s marriage, smiled.

As he stood, several princes followed suit. Inside Changqiu Palace, a flurry of farewells filled the air. Yao Yuzhu pulled Prince Qi aside, whispering instructions. She could faintly hear words like, “Return home soon.” The princesses around her laughed and teased, and she blushed, but didn’t deny it.

Pei Yu glanced in Ming Yunzhi’s direction. She was still talking to Yao Yuzhu beside her, seemingly oblivious to the noise. Only when the princes had departed did he raise his eyes and return the greeting.

From beginning to end, he never even gave him a glance.

Not to mention those affectionate instructions.

An autumn breeze blew, swirls of shadows through the trees. The sky was gloomy, and rain was about to fall.

Hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, Pei Yu paused, then quickly identified the source and stepped forward again. However, the person behind him was the first to panic, jogging to catch up.

“Second brother, do you remember what you promised me?”

The Prince of Qi found a quiet spot and approached.

He had reached the age where he needed to gain experience, and had long wanted to show his ambitions to his father and mother. However, his father always criticized him for being unruly and unfit for important tasks, and he was reluctant to allow him to enter the court for training. He had no other choice but to ask his second brother for help.

“I know the Ministry of Works is short-staffed lately, so why not let me do some odd jobs? I can do it all.” The King of Qi looked at his expression, feeling a little intimidated, but the arrow was on the string and had to be shot, so he bravely continued, “It would be even better if I could become a manager or something. It would help relieve my second brother’s worries… hehe…”

“You’re thinking so simply.”

Pei Yu glanced at him sideways. “Can talking alone prevent floods or ensure that the workers and civilians have enough food?”

The previous dynasty had been established for less than a hundred years, and it had already experienced dozens of floods. Year after year, floods breached dams, destroying fertile farmland, displacing the people, and leaving them destitute. Regions like Liangzhou, Yongzhou, and Bingzhou suffered from droughts year after year, with no harvests year after year.

After the previous emperor ascended the throne, many capable ministers called for the repair of embankments and the development of water conservancy projects. However, the previous dynasty’s long-standing problems were too deep, and the treasury was empty, making implementation difficult.

It wasn’t until the beginning of last year that the Minister of Works, Qi Zizhen, submitted a memorial outlining a voluminous, hundreds of thousands of words-long policy for flood control. Since then, canals have been built to alleviate droughts and floods. It’s been nearly two years now, and it’s been a busy time.

The King of Qi was dissatisfied: “What’s wrong with being eloquent? Being eloquent is a skill, and being able to make people happy is something many people wouldn’t envy.”

“Why use sweet words to please people if you don’t want to irritate them?”

Pei Yu: “I heard that just before your wedding, you were so angry that you almost tore up the marriage certificate.”

“Second brother!”

The King of Qi, deeply afraid of being exposed, quickly silenced the Crown Prince, saying: “I swear, if you allow me to gain experience in the Ministry of Works, whether it’s purchasing or actual hard labor, I will accept without hesitation!”

Pei Yu didn’t respond, simply saying: “If you’re so angry, how can you appease him?”

“Of course…”

The King of Qi answered instinctively, then paused. Now, needing a favor, he naturally put his years of reading Yao Yuzhu’s expressions to use on the Crown Prince. His eyes flashed, and he instantly understood something, lowering his voice: “But Second Sister-in-law…?”

“Don’t speculate.”

The King of Qi quickly corrected himself: “Yes, yes! I won’t speculate… If I wanted to coax Yuzhu, I’d first give her something she’d like, something to please her! For example, rouge and powder, or a pearl hairpin. For ordinary tantrums, just give her some small things she likes.”

“What do you think, Second Brother?”

Pei Yu twirled the ring on his finger.

Something she likes…

He was silent for a long time, suddenly realizing that after three years of marriage, he still didn’t know what his wife actually liked.

It seemed he didn’t understand her as well as he’d thought.