Chapter 3

His Highness was especially gracious.

The autumn wind grew colder overnight. The last blossoms had fallen from the osmanthus trees in the residence courtyard, leaving only a faint chill in the air.

Since Zhao Xuan's inspection yesterday, the entire residence had grown much quieter. Everyone from the fallen Shu Kingdom treaded carefully, afraid to speak or draw attention, lest the slightest misstep anger that cold-faced crown prince.

Only Du Yizhen remained as gentle and soft as ever.

At dawn, as the sky began to brighten, Qinghe brought in warm water. Seeing her mistress sitting quietly beside the window, she could not help sighing softly. "Miss, did you sleep well last night? Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the crown prince's icy gaze. It was truly frightening."

Du Yizhen brushed her fingertips over the cool wooden windowsill and nodded gently. "Well enough."

She had indeed slept lightly last night.

It was not the residence's rules that frightened her. Rather, Zhao Xuan's appearance that day had played over and over in her mind: his black brocade robes, his cool expression, the piercing aura that kept everyone at a distance. A man of such lofty standing, who had ordered countless deaths, should have been the person survivors of a fallen kingdom like them feared most.

Yet during yesterday's inspection, he had neither reprimanded nor troubled them. He had even expressly forbidden the servants from mistreating the women.

Such gracious treatment had surprised everyone.

"I heard the other residences are strictly controlled and serve meager food. Only ours has fine meals three times a day, plenty of charcoal, and even unusually gentle palace servants," Qinghe murmured. "I asked around in private. They said His Highness gave specific instructions."

Du Yizhen froze slightly.

She could scarcely believe it.

The crown prince of Great Qi attended to countless affairs each day, with military and court business piled as high as mountains. Why would he take special pains to look after a residence housing women from a fallen kingdom?

Presumably, it was simply a matter of strict military discipline and established rules, not any particular tenderness on his part.

She shook her head gently, put aside the stray thoughts in her heart, and lowered her gaze to the little booklet she had brought with her. It was a collection of poems from the chancellor's residence, just a few sparse pages, and now her only comfort.

All she wanted was to behave herself and pass her days quietly, drawing no attention and causing no trouble, until she had safely endured this most difficult stretch of time.

Shortly after the late-morning hour, the soft footsteps of a palace servant sounded outside the courtyard.

A respectful eunuch in blue robes entered, carrying two bolts of soft brocade, a box of exquisite pastries, and a jar of warm honey drink.

"May I ask which of you is the eldest young lady of Chancellor Du's household?"

Several women sitting idly in the courtyard immediately looked up, their eyes filled with surprise.

Du Yizhen also paused in surprise before rising and curtsying. "That would be me."

The eunuch handed over all the gifts and said respectfully, "By His Highness the Crown Prince's verbal decree: Miss Du is frail, and autumn in Shu is cold. He grants you brocade to ward off the chill and pastries to nourish your health. His Highness has instructed that you need not feel constrained while living here. Simply rest and recover in peace."

As his words fell, the courtyard went silent.

Every gaze turned to Du Yizhen at once, shock, envy, and bewilderment mingling in their eyes.

No one had expected this-

The cold-faced, cold-blooded crown prince of the Eastern Palace, who never went near women, had singled out a woman of the fallen Shu Kingdom for gifts.

Qinghe froze on the spot, standing dumbstruck for a long while without daring to accept them.

Du Yizhen's heart gave a violent tremor as well. Her fingertips tightened slightly, and her eyes filled with helpless uncertainty.

She said softly, "Could there have been a mistake, sir? I... am of lowly standing. I dare not accept such generous gifts from His Highness."

The eunuch smiled gently, his manner as respectful as before. "Rest assured, miss. There is no mistake. His Highness expressly stated that these were for you alone."

With matters put so plainly, refusing again would mean failing to appreciate his kindness.

Du Yizhen could only bow in thanks. "Thank you for your trouble, sir. Please convey my gratitude to His Highness the Crown Prince for his grace."

The eunuch nodded. Without lingering, he turned and withdrew.

Whispers immediately rustled through the courtyard.

"They really were bestowed on Miss Du alone..."

"His Highness the Crown Prince is such a cold man. I've never heard of him giving anything to a woman."

"Could it be... that the crown prince has taken a fancy to her?"

The scattered whispers reached Du Yizhen's ears, making her cheeks warm and her heart flutter with unease.

She was merely the daughter of an official from a fallen kingdom. The gulf between their stations was as vast as that between clouds and mud.

Zhao Xuan was Great Qi's heir apparent, a favored son of heaven. She was a remnant of a defeated kingdom, rootless duckweed adrift. There should never have been any connection between them.

She did not understand why His Highness treated her, of all people, with such special kindness.

Holding the soft brocade, Qinghe picked up a sweet, fragrant osmanthus cake, her eyes brimming with joy and disbelief. "Miss! His Highness really does care about you! No one else received a single gift. Only you did!"

Du Yizhen, however, could not smile. Her heart was warm and frightened all at once.

The warmth came from knowing that, in this place of confinement where everyone feared for themselves, someone was willing to offer her a little gentleness and grace.

The fear came from knowing that this gentleness belonged to the one man under heaven she could least afford to become entangled with.

She stroked the fine, smooth brocade and said softly, "Don't talk nonsense. Perhaps His Highness merely saw how frightened and flustered I was yesterday and took pity on me."

But only she knew that her heart had already lost its bearings.

Elsewhere, in the Eastern Palace's temporary command tent.

Zhao Xuan stood before the desk, leafing through confidential military reports. His expression was stern, his gaze indifferent, and the air around him still warned strangers to keep their distance.

The guard Lin Sui stood to one side and reported quietly, "Your Highness, the gifts have been delivered to Miss Du's courtyard."

Without looking up, Zhao Xuan replied impassively, "Mm."

Lin Sui hesitated for a moment, but could not keep himself from speaking. "Your Highness, forgive me for speaking out of turn. There are dozens of noblewomen in that courtyard, all graceful in appearance and bearing. If you look after Miss Du alone, others may read too much into it."

After all, this crown prince had lived for years with a tranquil heart and few desires, keeping away from women. His harem stood empty, and he had never spared any woman a second glance.

For him now to take special care of the daughter of a defeated Shu official was simply too unusual.

Zhao Xuan finally raised his eyes. His dark gaze was restrained and fathomless, his voice betraying no emotion. "She's timid."

Just two simple words.

Yesterday, every woman in the courtyard had feigned composure while hiding schemes in her heart. Only Du Yizhen's fear had been plain and her panic untainted. She had stood timidly among the others, the corners of her eyes red, without the slightest pretense.

A girl so innocent and gentle, so unversed in the world, was the easiest to wrong and bully in a situation where everyone schemed and every step was fraught with danger.

He had no intention of losing his heart. It was only-

He could not bear to see her so frightened and helpless, so deserving of tenderness.

Zhao Xuan withdrew his gaze, his voice as cool as ever. "Have someone keep an eye on her. Don't let the others bully her. As long as she behaves herself, there's no need to be harsh."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Outside the tent, the autumn wind howled. Inside, all was quiet and solemn.

No one knew that the iron-blooded, aloof crown prince, whose heart had been frozen for ten thousand years, had quietly made an exception.

In his eyes, everyone else was merely a passing stranger.

Only that delicate, timid young noblewoman from Shu, with the reddened corners of her eyes, had quietly found a place in his gaze and become his one and only exception.

Far away in the residence, Du Yizhen cradled the warm honey drink and watched the autumn wind scatter leaves beyond her window, her heart soft and heavy.

She did not yet know.

From that moment on, the coldest man in this vast capital and its forbidding Eastern Palace had quietly sheltered her in the palm of his hand.