Lei Wanxi was restlessly pacing in his room. Suddenly, he stopped and opened the fan in his hand. He moved it in front of his face. "It is my third visit to the temple, but I did not find anything or anyone there. This Empress is a clever, sly fox. She sent the priest away and there is nothing around the temple which could be suspicious," Lei Wanxi muttered and closed the fan in his hand.
"No, I cannot lose against her that easily," Lei Wanxi murmured and strode out of his room. "Only Brother Nianzu can help me in this," Lei Wanxi thought and went straight to the chamber of the Fourth Prince.
Outside the Fourth Prince's chamber, Lei Wanxi was informed by Eunuch Chung that Prince Nianzu would return late as he was with his mother.
"Brother will talk to me in the morning?" asked Lei Wanxi.
"Yes, your highness."
Lei Wanxi hummed and left from there. "When will the Fifth Brother return? I hope they are safe. There is no news from them, and it is worrying me," Lei Wanxi thought and went back to his chamber.
Nianzu could be seen in the wine shop of the market, in a private room. After a conversation with the First Prince, Nianzu had left the Palace and come here. Today was the third time he had come here. Earlier, almost a year ago, when the Empress punished his mother because he did not support Jian Guozhi's appointment in the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Unlike the other times, today Nianzu had consumed more wine than his capacity. His emotions were acting up all at once, making him look like a drunkard rather than a Prince. The owner of the wine shop arranged a horse cart for the Fourth Prince to send him back to the Palace, but he refused to go in that.
Although Nianzu was drunk, he did not say anything about the Palace. He paid the bills and took his leave from there. The night had fallen, and he was walking with wavering steps towards the Palace when he stopped. "Why am I going there? I do not want to go there." Nianzu turned back when he recalled his mother would be alone there.
Luckily, because of the night people walking past through the Prince could not recognize him. Nianzu, with his wavering steps, walked towards the Palace. "I cannot feel my legs. I want to take some rest," Nianzu murmured. He looked around for a resting ground and saw some trees a few meters ahead of him.
He walked there and was now under one of those trees. Sitting beneath a tree, he rested his head against its stem and took out the flute, which he always kept with him from the sash.
He counted the holes, blew the air through those holes, and smiled. Bringing it closer to his mouth, Nianzu started playing it. People who were walking through that path listened to the soothing sound, but since the night was falling, they could not stand there for long.
Chuntao was hurrying to the Palace. She wanted to leave early from her home, but Bingbing did not let her go. In the evening, she had left her house, and now night had fallen. While running, she heard a flute sound which stopped her.
"This sound!" Chuntao mumbled. "Am I hearing voices?" She wondered and stepped ahead, but she again heard the voice. "Why does it seem like Prince Nianzu is playing the flute?" Chuntao muttered. She decided to follow the sound and turned left.
She saw a few people had gathered near a few trees and then walked away. She stepped ahead and soon reached those people. Craning her head, she looked ahead but was not able to see who was sitting under the tree.
"Excuse me, brother! Who is playing the flute?" Chuntao queried a man standing in front of her.
"Sister, I do not know. But it seems he is from a rich family," the man replied. Chuntao thanked the man for answering her and went ahead from among those people. To her surprise, it was Prince Nianzu who was playing the flute.
She hurried to him and bent on her knees. "Your highness," she whispered and patted his shoulder. Nianzu stopped blowing the air on the flute and peered at her.
"Miss, you here?" Nianzu said. "D-do you want to learn this?" he asked.
Chuntao refused and turned to look at those people. She stood up and told them that they should leave. The people dispersed from there. "Ayee, don't go. Listen to my song," Nianzu shouted as he stood up from the ground. Chuntao also got up and told the Fourth Prince to keep quiet.
She realized that the Prince was drunk. But why? She had heard in the Palace that the Fourth Prince had no such habits. "Why did you send them away?" Nianzu's sudden outburst at Chuntao brought her out of those thoughts. "They were listening to me," Nianzu muttered.
"Your highness, what if they would have recognized you? Let's converse later. First, we need to reach the Palace," Chuntao pronounced and looked around.
"Palace? I don't want to go there, but I cannot leave it either," Nianzu muttered. Chuntao heard him and turned her head. She saw the sad expressions in the eyes of Prince Nianzu.
On that dark night, she could only see the pair of dark eyes, which had turned misty. "My mother will be alone if I leave the Palace. I promised her that I would end her miseries." The tears poured down the eyes of Nianzu. Chuntao could not understand what to say in that condition.
She saw Nianzu had walked past her. She turned to him and grabbed Nianzu's arm. "Let me support you, your highness." Nianzu hummed, and the two started walking on the route to the Palace.
"Your highness, difficulties are everywhere. I do not know what is going on with you but I know that his highness will overcome them," Chuntao asserted.
"I do not know the way to overcome them. I am indeed a Prince but because my mother is a concubine so, I am not allowed to have rights like my other brothers. Thanks to my father, I have never been deprived of those rights but it does not mean I can use them fully. When I see people like you, I feel immense pleasure and I wish for that life too, free from fights for power," Nianzu proclaimed and looked up at the sky. Chuntao also stopped and looked at the Prince.
"Rain will pour soon," Nianzu murmured when the thunder sound reverberated throughout the sky.
"We shall hurry," said Chuntao worriedly, when she felt a raindrop on her cheek. She grasped Nianzu's hand and moved forward. Holding her high waist skirt, she started running while pulling Nianzu with her.
"We need to hurry, otherwise it will be difficult for us," Nianzu heard her. It was a thin drizzling rain which gave them the chance to reach the palace sooner without being drenched. Nianzu realized that rain could get heavier any time sooner, so he took the lead and overtook Chuntao. Soon they reached outside the first gate of the Palace and the two stopped, gasping for the air. Nianzu had never felt this good as he was feeling today, after running. He turned to Chuntao who was panting. Because of the light-bearers which were placed there, their faces were visible.
Nianzu lifted his hand and moved the back of his finger over Chuntao's cheeks, which had rain droplets on them.
"Your highness, you might catch a cold," Chuntao murmured and looked towards the first gate of the palace. Nianzu nodded and put his hand down her cheek. He saw Chuntao had gone towards the Palace guard and was talking something with him.
After a few minutes, she came back to him with an Oil-Paper umbrella in her hand. She opened it and covered Nianzu from it. "Your highness, let's go in!" Chuntao said with her sparkling eyes.