The plum grove stretched wide, its snow-covered pebble path veiled in winter’s embrace. The biting wind carried the crisp fragrance of plum blossoms, refreshing and invigorating.

"Lu Changsui, that brat..." Emperor Jingxuan began, only to pause mid-sentence as he glanced sideways and noticed the snowflakes dusting Yun Wan’s hair.

He stopped in his tracks, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don’t move, my lady. There’s snow in your hair."

The scattered snowflakes settled like delicate ornaments against her dark tresses, a simple yet striking contrast. Yun Wan remained still, her face half-hidden beneath the fur collar of her cloak. As she tilted her head slightly, her porcelain skin gleamed under the winter light.

Lips red as berries, teeth white as pearls, her features were as exquisite as a painting. Her breath misted in the cold, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and the sweet scent of her perfume lingered in the air.

Emperor Jingxuan’s gaze dropped to her slightly parted lips. His throat bobbed. "My lady, I wish to—"

Kiss you.

Thud!

Crash!

Two abrupt noises shattered the intimate moment. A light but unmistakable impact struck his thigh, followed by Pei Qian’s booming voice.

"Oof—my poor backside! That hurt like the devil!"

"Lu Changsui, why’d you stop all of a sudden?"

Emperor Jingxuan’s expression darkened as he looked down and met the wide, innocent eyes of Sui, who stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, looking far too innocent for the mischief at hand.

And behind him—Pei Qian and the Third Prince.

The three of them had been walking in single file, so neatly aligned that not a single footprint marred the snow.

Except for the imprint of Pei Qian’s rear where he’d fallen.

Sensing the emperor’s deathly glare, Pei Qian scrambled to his feet. The three lined up like soldiers and chorused:

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty/Uncle/Father!"

Emperor Jingxuan stared. They stared back.

Finally, he let out a humorless laugh.

His gaze flicked to the attendants waiting at a distance, then back to the three troublemakers who now wore expressions of exaggerated innocence.

Hands clasped behind his back, he demanded, "Out with it. What are you three sneaking around for?"

He hadn’t even noticed them trailing behind.

The three exchanged glances. Pei Qian, ever the quick thinker, brightened. "Uncle, we wanted to surprise you!"

The Third Prince nodded eagerly. "Yes! A surprise!"

Sui, looking left and right, suddenly noticed the footprints and blurted, "Your Majesty, your feet are so big!"

Pei Qian bobbed his head like a chicken pecking grain. "Yeah, Uncle, with feet that huge, you must use up a lot of cloth for shoes, huh?"

The Third Prince, desperate to contribute, turned to Yun Wan. "Lady Yun, you look so beautiful today!"

Sui puffed out his chest. "A-Niang is beautiful every day."

"......"

Their clumsy attempts to divert the conversation drew a soft laugh from Yun Wan. Her eyes warmed as she gazed at them, thinking how much livelier Sui had become since befriending the other two.

While Yun Wan melted with maternal affection, Emperor Jingxuan massaged his temples, his face thunderous. "Are you three sparrows?"

Chattering nonstop—even sparrows weren’t this noisy!

And what kind of flattery was this? Yun Wan was "beautiful," while he was reduced to "big feet"?

The trio fell silent at the unflattering comparison, their lips pressed tight. But their eyes—wide and pleading—turned to Yun Wan, brimming with grievance.

Her heart softened instantly.

Sui pouted, stubborn. "A-Niang, we’re not sparrows..."

Pei Qian and the Third Prince echoed, "Yeah, we’re not sparrows!"

Chins lifted in defiance, like a trio of stubborn little mules.

Yun Wan bent down, her voice gentle. "Of course you’re not. His Majesty was just teasing."

Sui’s chin lowered slightly, appeased.

Turning to Pei Qian, she took his hands and examined them. "Young Master Pei, did you hurt yourself when you fell?"

Pei Qian scratched his head, grinning. "Don’t worry, Aunt Yun! I’m bundled up like a dumpling—didn’t feel a thing!"

"And you, Third Prince?" Yun Wan’s gaze softened further as she addressed the slightly nervous boy.

Though the oldest of the three, he was also the most timid.

The Third Prince stammered, "I—I’m fine, thank you, Lady Yun."

He had plenty of padding.

A quick glance at Emperor Jingxuan confirmed the emperor’s faint approval, and the Third Prince exhaled in relief.

As always, Father was far more lenient when Lady Yun was around.

Yun Wan cupped each of their faces, marveling at the differences—Sui’s smooth cheeks, Pei Qian’s firm ones, the Third Prince’s soft and plump.

Then she opened her arms, and the three dove into her embrace like ducklings seeking shelter.

Emperor Jingxuan snorted, seeing right through their act.

But he let it slide.

Yun Wan straightened. "Why were you following us? And how come there aren’t any footprints?"

She glanced back at the pristine snow, marked only by hers and the emperor’s steps.

The Third Prince blurted, "We weren’t trying to eavesdrop!"

The moment the words left his mouth, his eyes bulged in horror, and he clapped both hands over his lips.

Emperor Jingxuan: "......" Was this really his son?

Sui pointed at the smaller prints nestled inside the emperor’s larger ones. "We were stepping in Your Majesty’s footprints! That’s why you couldn’t see ours!"

Emperor Jingxuan and Yun Wan followed his finger and fell silent.

So that was why they’d commented on his foot size.

They weren’t wrong.

He had to admire their dedication—matching his strides must’ve been a struggle.

Oblivious to the emperor’s uncharitable thoughts, Sui adjusted his makeshift fur hat (crafted from fabric scraps) and asked, "Your Majesty, I heard my name earlier. What were you going to tell A-Niang about me?"

Emperor Jingxuan flicked the little pom-pom on Sui’s hat and declared, "That you’re a troublemaker, of course."

Sui looked to Yun Wan.

Yun Wan looked to Emperor Jingxuan.

The emperor cleared his throat and pivoted. "How are your studies? What rank do you expect in the end-of-month exams?"

Sui beamed. "Top marks, obviously!"

Pei Qian scratched his nose. "Uh... top marks in martial arts!"

The Third Prince’s face fell. "If they’re both getting top marks... maybe I’ll aim for third?"

Not that he couldn’t do better—he just preferred the middle.

Emperor Jingxuan’s eye twitched. "How inspiring."

Yun Wan intervened. "The exams haven’t even started yet. No need to pressure them."

. ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‍.....

Beyond the plum grove, hidden within a pavilion shrouded by trees, a middle-aged man sighed. "Your Highness, see how much patience His Majesty shows toward an outsider compared to you? It’s clear where his favor lies..."

He left the rest unsaid.

The Crown Prince’s hands clenched inside his sleeves, his eyes turbulent. Swallowing his emotions, he turned to the man beside him. "Uncle, what should I do?"

Grand Tutor Li’s gaze sharpened. "Your Highness must work diligently to secure the support of the court. And when necessary... remove those who threaten your position."

Those who threaten me...

The Crown Prince’s gaze locked onto the Third Prince.