The spring breeze had once again turned the southern riverbanks green. Winter gave way to spring, and the Kang Capital was once more bathed in misty rain. The Prince of Suppressing the Sea's Residence was festooned with lanterns and streamers, brimming with festive cheer. Hu Xiaotian, the Prince of Suppressing the Sea, would return to the capital within the next two days, and the household was busily preparing to welcome its master.
His consort, Long Xiyue, was not at the residence, however. She had gone to the Imperial Palace early that morning and was boating on the Jade Pool with Princess Yongyang, Qiqi, admiring the delightful spring scenery along its banks.
Flowers unfurled their brilliant colors, and the grass was lush and green. The hazy rain enriched those colors while softening every outline into something dreamlike and poetic. Boating across the lake in such misty weather felt like sailing into an exquisite landscape painting.
Qiqi and Long Xiyue stood shoulder to shoulder at the bow. Neither had anyone hold an umbrella for her; they quietly savored the tingling sensation of fine rain brushing their skin. Their skin, so delicate it seemed a breath might break it, drank in the moisture and looked all the more fresh and tender, like two exquisite blossoms capable of understanding human hearts, blooming in the mortal world.
"After the Jade Pool was rebuilt, its scenery became even lovelier than before," Long Xiyue said admiringly.
"I had people find the original plans drawn by the War Sage, Zhuge Yunchun, along with the drafts he discarded," Qiqi said. "We combined them and rebuilt it. It may not match the ingenuity of his original work, but it is much more pleasing to the eye."
When the War Sage, Zhuge Yunchun, built Misty Mountain and the Jade Pool, his