Love In The Forbidden City (Completed)

Chapter IV - Peeping and Eavesdropping - Part I (Revised)

Three months had passed, and the Tenth Prince hadn't visited the South House.

The Fourteenth Prince told me that he had been drinking day and night. The state affairs' documents piled up like a mountain on his table. I wanted to visit him but I knew my presence would only aggravate his misery. After putting on my fur coat, I strolled around the garden.

I was traipsing through a foot deep of snow when the Eighth Bei'Le approached me. Without talking, we walked side by side. Suddenly, my foot stepped into a pile of melting snow and the prince grabbed hold of my hands. I pulled them away but he held onto them tighter. His grip warmed my heart. The impish Hiccup Fairy found its rendezvous in my throat. Biting my lip, I held my breath, praying that I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of him again.

Prolonged silence accompanied us until the prince brought me to his study. The warmth of the hearth embraced us. After removing his fur coat, the prince brought forth a cup of hot tea. Flashing me a smile which consisted of thousands of meanings, he walked to his table.

"You like to stand?" He looked at some documents as he said.

Quietly, I sat in a chair overlooking him. He always had that congenial smile on his face as he treated his documents. I couldn't help but lament over his fate. Sitting in front of me was a charming prince loved by all governors and praised by his people, but because of his lust over the throne, he earned jealousy and hatred from his own father in the later years. Shaking off my despair, I excused myself to leave for the South House.

Sitting on my bed, I hugged my knees to my chest.

Why would he bring me to his study but not talk to me? Was this a kind of prank? What was playing in his mind? If trying to comprehend a woman's heart was like trying to search for a needle in an ocean, the challenge to understand the princes' hearts was tenfold more difficult. The gentleness in his eyes was so mesmerizing. Why did I feel nervous when he held my hands? No, no way. He was Ruo Lan's husband. Oh, what had gotten into me? What should I do? 

The rest of the month passed by without much happening. 

I did nothing but eat and sleep, but I added one more pass-time -- playing puzzle with my mind, compiling answers and reshuffling the questions again. My thoughts grew more convoluted the more I thought about such nonsensical things. While I rued over the boredom, Mr. Time seemed to turn into a snail. Then, it seemed to have drunk some energy boosting tonics when I tried to avoid a miserable celebration. The Tenth Prince's wedding was held in the first week in Spring. I couldn't believe that I had spent nine months in the Qing Dynasty. The naked truth appeared before my eyes, bringing the certainty that I could never return to the year 2014.

However, deep within me, I still clung to that tiny string of hope. Everyone was asking me how my preparation was for the upcoming Maiden Selection. I could only answer them with silence. What else could I do? I was slowly fading into this dynasty. I could no longer remember who I was. Ruo Xi or Zhang Xiao? I could no longer divide a line to differentiate our identity. My melancholy deepened as I headed to the Tenth Prince's wedding.

The horse carriage halted in front of the Tenth Prince's new house with a robust neighing, as if congratulating the new couple. Standing in front of the brass doors, I sighed. No matter how grand this building looked, it would only be the husk of an imperial cage. While the guests were waiting in the dining hall, I crept to the reception chamber. The Tenth Prince was clad in a red gown; his face was scarlet, not with happiness but depression.

"I am not willing to carry out this wedding." His tone lacked his usual jubilance.

"As a prince, we enjoy great wealth and prosperity," the Eighth Bei'Le comforted him. "Sometimes, we have to relinquish a part of our will in reciprocation, and the sacrifice is nothing, compared to what we have been bestowed. The most important thing is to marry a wife with a reputation that can aid our empire. Love is a substantial matter, but it is never lasting."