In fact, old Marquis Zhenbei had only come to have a word with Prince Jing so his grandson would give up. As for what kind of person Chunhua was, how could he really go see Prince Jing’s bed-warming maid on the say-so of Xiao Hongjian? It was inappropriate from every standpoint. And no matter how Xiao Hongjian praised Chunhua, it only made Xiao Jinshu angry that a bed-warmer was considered fit to be spoken of in the same breath as Xiao Jinyi.

When Xiao Jinyi had sat astride his horse beneath the walls of Mobei City and faced the herding tribes’ army, alone, armed only with a saber, he had dealt Huyan Xi a grave injury and repelled over a hundred thousand soldiers. Who would dare be compared to a person like that?

It was with these ideas in mind that Xiao Jinshu arrived at Prince Jing’s residence, but the moment he laid eyes on Chunhua serving tea, he was stunned.

Chunhua was dressed in an ordinary green robe, which really was too plain for a woman to wear and looked masculine. And Chunhua’s hair was also done very simply, held up by a simple pin. It was extremely cool and casual.

His expression was placid. The presence of a personage like old Marquis Zhenbei didn’t unsettle him in the least. After seeing him, when Chunhua poured his tea, Xiao Jinshu couldn’t help releasing some murderous aura. Xiao Jinshu frequently commanded on the battlefield; though he was only a strategist, when he let loose, his murderous aura was more than the average maid could withstand. Some poorly discerning wealthy boys had been frightened into wetting their pants by Xiao Jinshu’s presence.

But Chunhua remained collected in the face of Xiao Jinshu’s murderous aura. He steadily placed a cup of tea on the table, bowed slightly to the old marquis, and was about to go when Xiao Jinshu seized his wrist.

What a…thick wrist! Xiao Jinshu’s age-spotted hand moved over Chunhua’s wrist, fingers pressing against his pulse. He sensed the plentiful internal force hidden in his meridians.

“Your internal force is abundant. Did you start training at a young age?” asked Xiao Jinshu, the first words he had produced since coming to Prince Jing’s residence.

Though Xiao Jinshu was the old Marquis Zhenbei as well as the present emperor’s uncle, it was still rather rude of him to say absolutely nothing to Prince Jing, who was exceedingly likely to be the next emperor, and instead pay attention to a maid. But Prince Jing didn’t mind, and Xiao Jinshu wasn’t concerned about his feelings. He was only interested in getting a good look at this maiden.

“I had never trained before entering His Highness’s residence. After I came, His Highness gave me a guide to meditations for improving internal strength and told me to practice with it. I have done so for half a year now,” Chunhua responded, keeping his eyes humbly cast down.

As he replied, he couldn’t resist shooting a furtive glare at Prince Jing’s shoes. He’d given him such an identity, but this body was still Yun Ruifeng’s own. Yun Ruifeng had studied traditional martial arts since he was little; his internal force was abundant and could be felt at a single touch to his pulse. There was no hiding it. And that was one thing; when Xiao Jinshu had raised a question, Prince Jing hadn’t even helped him cover up, leaving it all to Chunhua to think up a reason.

“Only half a year?” Xiao Jinshu’s expression was no longer surprised; he looked appalled. This was simply impossible.

At last, Prince Jing slowly joined the conversation. “You seem very interested in this maid, Marquis?”

Hearing this, the old man Xiao Jinshu couldn’t very well keep holding onto the maiden’s hand. He let go regretfully. With a salute to Prince Jing, he said, “I observed that this maid has an excellent constitution, ideal for martial arts training, and couldn’t resist being impressed with her potential and checking her pulse. Your Highness must have thought the same to make her study internal strength meditations?”

“Not at all,” Prince Jing said calmly. “I discovered that this maid seemed to have innate concentrated energy hidden inside her, so I picked up a book of internal strength meditations in the street and told her to practice them. I wished to see whether it would activate that innate concentrated energy. And sure enough, after less than a month of practice, her internal force already surpassed the average person’s.”

“Innate concentrated energy!” Xiao Jinshu’s expression became even more conflicted.

As it happened, before coming to this world, Prince Jing had added quite a bit to the deceased empress’s backstory. For example, to explain why his fighting abilities had been so powerful, Prince Jing had made it so that certain people were born with innate concentrated energy. Such people could train just a little and acquire immense internal force; this was because of the innate concentrated energy. Xiao Jinyi was one of these people. Otherwise, how else to explain that, despite marrying into the imperial palace at such a young age, his martial skills had been superior to his older brothers’?

Huyan Xi naturally must have had it as well, and that was why both their abilities exceeded the limitations of this world?

Innate concentrated energy was legendary. One such person might not appear in a thousand years. They were even rarer than sightings of the Ephemeral Snow Lotus. Xiao Jinyi had had it, and so did this maid who looked identical to Xiao Jinyi…

Was this the will of heaven?

Xiao Jinshu was often at war and had caused the deaths of countless people. He had never believed in the supernatural. But after seeing Chunhua—or rather, after seeing Chunhua with Prince Jing—he had started to believe.

Two faces that looked the same as Emperor Jingren and Xiao Jinyi were in front of him. It was as if, decades after the fact, time had come full circle and brought those to people before his eyes once more.

Xiao Jinshu suddenly recalled what he had come for, recalled the girl Xiao Hongjian loved, recalled Xiao Hongjian saying that he had never seen a woman who more closely resembled Empress Xiao than this girl…

It wasn’t merely a resemblance. This was Empress Xiao herself! And after all this time, she was once again with Emperor Jingren, as if the two of them were fated to love each other in every lifetime.

Xiao Jinshu smiled soothingly as he looked at Chunhua. He said, “Hongjian told me that he had seen a woman beyond compare. That there had never been anyone as enchanting as this woman. I thought he was talking nonsense. But now that I’ve seen you, I understand that such a woman truly does exist. Child, come here. Tell me, what is your name?”

“I am Chunhua,” Chunhua responded, restraining an inward spasm.

“Chunhua…” Xiao Jinshu’s face twitched when he heard this name. He simply couldn’t accept that such a heroic woman had such a vulgar name.

He wanted to pick a new name for Chunhua there and then, but he recalled with a start that he was in Prince Jing’s residence, and Chunhua was Prince Jing’s servant. Therefore, he said to Prince Jing, “Your Highness, this woman truly does have excellent potential. She was born for military service. I would like to take her to Mobei to join the army. With her abilities, she ought to be defending the nation, not buried in some compound.”

Prince Jing, who had been neglected up to now by Xiao Jinshu as if he were a wallflower, raised his eyebrows. He beckoned to Chunhua, summoning him to his side. Then he said to Xiao Jinshu, “That won’t do. This maid is my beloved bedwarmer. I can’t have her go too far from me.”

As he spoke, he stroked Chunhua’s wrist where old Marquis Zhenbei had just taken his pulse, looking exceptionally possessive.

These words wounded Xiao Jinshu.

A woman like this, a brave woman like Xiao Jinyi reincarnated, and Prince Jing was using her as a bedwarmer, and one without rank? Prince Jing would have to marry one of these days, and if he married a highborn girl with an especially strict family, she might even get rid of all her new husband’s companions. If that happened, would Chunhua really…

Xiao Jinshu didn’t even dare to imagine such an outcome!

If it had only been an outward resemblance, Xiao Jinshu might have been able to take it philosophically: the world was wide, and it was easy to find two people who looked alike. But innate concentrated energy! The same innate concentrated energy as Empress Xiao. This physique might not occur once in a thousand years, yet he had met three such people during the course of his life!

The countenance, the bearing, and even the innate concentrated energy all made Xiao Jinshu completely certain that Chunhua was his sister’s reincarnation. All his feelings for Xiao Jinyi transferred to Chunhua. How could Xiao Jinshu let his little sister be a mere bedwarmer!

It would even be preferable for that brat Hongjian to marry Chunhua. That way, Chunhua would be part of the Xiao family.

“Your Highness.” Xiao Jinshu bowed solemnly to Prince Jing and said, “I have an unreasonable request to make of you.”

Squeezing Chunhua’s wrist, Prince Jing smiled and said, “If you’re going to ask for Chunhua again, I cannot agree. As far as generational rankings are concerned, I ought to be calling you great-uncle. But while you are an elder to me, Marquis, it isn’t right for you to interfere with who I choose to keep in my quarters.”

This was a perfectly reasonable response, but his tone and gestures were those of a lecher.

Xiao Jinshu’s words caught in his throat. He looked at the placid Chunhua. Chunhua was watching Prince Jing, his eyes and heart seemingly filled with nothing but Prince Jing. This gaze made Xiao Jinshu’s heart ache.

Yes, the emperor and empress had been so close. Given the depths of his sister’s feelings for the late emperor—such bone-deep love that she was willing to die to save him—how could she be willingly parted from Prince Jing?

The scene before him threw time into confusion in Xiao Jinshu’s mind. He let out a long sigh. He had to fall back to a lesser request. “Then please take Chunhua as your wife, Your Highness, and swear that you will have no one but Chunhua, that you will take no concubines and marry no one else in the event of her death!”

Frowning, Prince Jing said, “Old Marquis, that request is a little unreasonable, isn’t it? I am a member of the imperial clan, and Chunhua is a mere maid, and a bondswoman at that. I hold her indenture. However I might love Chunhua, His Majesty couldn’t possibly agree to me marrying a woman of such status.”

As Prince Jing spoke, Xiao Jinshu watched Chunhua. When Chunhua heard what Prince Jing said, a wounded look came into his eyes. Xiao Jinshu felt a sense of grievance, as if his own little sister had been bullied. He was the only big brother that his sister had left now. He had to do something for his sister!

Old Marquis Zhenbei straightened his spine and said unyieldingly to Prince Jing, “Remember what you have said today, Your Highness. Allow me to speak to His Majesty! You may await the imperial edict!”

Then, full of fury and promises to Chunhua, old Marquis Zhenbei left the residence.

Chunhua was speechless.

Prince Jing had the residence’s steward escort the guest out while he himself remained seated, sipping the tea Chunhua had made. He nodded and said approvingly, “Your brewing technique has improved considerably.”

Chunhua stared at Prince Jing awhile, then couldn’t resist saying, “Your Highness means to use old Marquis Zhenbei?”

Prince Jing raised his hand, found that he could only reach Chunhua's thigh, and said, “Crouch.”

Chunhua crouched at once. Prince Jing plucked the pin out of his hair, letting the long hair fall loose. Prince Jing caught a strand of hair and said, smiling, “Wouldn’t you like to marry me openly and legitimately?”

“Naturally I would, but my status is so low that I don’t dare think of it,” said Chunhua, going along with Prince Jing’s approach.

“But I wish to marry no one but you.” Prince Jing gently kissed Chunhua’s hair and said softly, “In my past life, in this present life, in the next life, no matter how many lives I lead, I…we will wed no one but Jinyi.”

His kiss was so tender, and the emotion filling his eyes was bottomless. Chunhua couldn’t help himself. Quietly saying, “Pardon me, Your Highness,” he lifted Prince Jing from his seat.

Chunhua held Prince Jing close and bent his head to kiss Prince Jing’s lips. Tenderly, he said, “And I too. No matter how many times I may live, I will always be with Your Majesty.”

Then he carried Prince Jing straight to the inner chamber and engaged in daytime licentiousness, which continued well into the night, so that Prince Jing once again sent Chunhua back to the kitchen to improve his cooking…

After Marquis Zhenbei left, it became known throughout the residence that Prince Jing was ignoring Chunhua. Some people made cutting remarks toward Chunhua, and some tried to hit him while he was down. But more people believed that Prince Jing had taken a liking to Chunhua because of his “beauty” and had now cast him off. They knew Chunhua wasn’t the sort of person who tried to curry favor with the wealthy and powerful. Though Prince Jing had ruined Chunhua, these people were still willing to marry him.

This was too much for Chunhua.

Surely it was Prince Jing who had been ruined?

Of course, a person couldn’t be liked by everyone. There were some people in the residence who wished to fly up to the branch and become a phoenix, and Chunhua was a splinter in their eyes. They made numerous attempts to harm Chunhua, both open and secret, which Chunhua invariably brushed off. Their methods were too consistent: it was either poison or framing him for theft. Chunhua could hardly be bothered to give his attention to these petty tactics. The poisoners were themselves poisoned, the framers found the money they had planted miraculously appearing in their own rooms. Their little plots weren’t worth bothering Prince Jing about. They were simply settled.

In this way, Chunhua took care of quite a number of foes in the residence who had improper designs on Prince Jing. Soon the residence was tight as a drum, with no one left who harbored evil intentions.

As for the matter of not being allowed back in Prince Jing’s room unless he made good food, that was no trouble at all for Chunhua. If he couldn’t be there during the day, he’d go at night. He had his innate concentrated energy and was a martial arts genius. He could fly around the residence at night without being discovered by the guards.

As Chunhua and Prince Jing embarked upon their clandestine affair, the old Marquis Zhenbei, Xiao Jinshu, was bringing every last bit of his eloquence to bear trying to talk Emperor Ning’an into arranging a marriage for Prince Jing.

“Old Marquis, no matter how well-matched you say the two of them are, we still cannot permit a serving girl to marry Jingrui. It’s against the rules.” Emperor Ning’an was extremely polite to Xiao Jinshu. At first he had still called him “Uncle” in private, but later Xiao Jinshu had put a stop to that. After all, there had to be some distance between sovereign and subject.

“Did Your Majesty ever see Empress Xiao when you were young?” Xiao Jinshu asked.

“During the empress dowager’s full decade birthday, we paid respects to Empress Xiao along with our mother. She truly was a singular person, absolutely incomparable.” Emperor Ning’an himself was getting on in years. When he spoke of Empress Xiao, a look of nostalgia came into his face. That single brief encounter had formed a memory carved into his mind. He would never forget Empress Xiao’s appearance.

“If I might be so bold as to inquire, has Your Majesty not always taken His Highness Prince Jing to be the late emperor reincarnated?” Xiao Jinshu asked.

Another emperor would have flown into a rage at such a question, but Emperor Ning’an had after all been personally taught by Emperor Jingren. He wouldn’t grow angry at being probed like this. And Xiao Jinshu was no outsider. He nodded and acknowledged, “That is so. That child… Every time we see his face, we feel as if time had reversed itself.”

“Well, to my mind, Chun…that girl is Empress Xiao’s reincarnation,” Xiao Jinshu said. “I started going to war with my father as a child. Before my legs were broken, I must have been responsible for the deaths of nearly a thousand people. And as a military counselor, this only increased. With a single strategy, I might cause tens of thousands to die falling into a trap. I bear responsibility for countless deaths, but I have never believed in the supernatural. If there truly were souls of the aggrieved dead wandering around to demand the lives of their killers, my life would have been seized long ago. But the instant I saw that girl, I believed. There must be supernatural things in this world, as well as fate that carries through multiple lives. The late emperor and Empress Xiao were fated in this way, and so are Prince Jing and this girl.”

He spoke too solemnly. There was no way Emperor Ning’an could have told him he was being absurd.

Beholding Xiao Jinshu’s sincere expression, calling to mind Prince Jing’s face, which was identical to his imperial father’s, Emperor Ning’an was forced to admit that perhaps the cycle of reincarnation did exist. Emperor Jingren was all that Emperor Ning’an aspired to be. Precisely because of this, he had never arranged a marriage for Prince Jing. To Emperor Ning’an, not one of the common painted lovelies of this world was fit to be a match for Prince Jing, Shen Jingrui. Perhaps only a woman like Empress Xiao could stand beside Prince Jing.

Emperor Ning’an roused himself from deep thought and saw Xiao Jinshu still gazing resolutely at him. At last, he said, “At the very least, first let us see this girl before we make a decision.”

This was already a concession. Xiao Jinshu was delighted. At once he smacked his chest and guaranteed that he would be certain to bring Chunhua to see Emperor Ning’an.

Remembering Prince Jing’s casual attitude toward Chunhua, Xiao Jinshu thought it impossible to ask him to bring Chunhua to see Emperor Ning’an. It would have to be left to Xiao Hongjian.

Therefore, Xiao Hongjian once again went to the kitchen of Prince Jing’s residence to see Chunhua.

When he entered the kitchen, he saw Chunhua drop firewood into the kitchen range. The firewood must have been a bit damp, because the fire in the range was stunted. So Chunhua picked up a spatula with one hand and aimed his other hand at the range. He released internal force from his palm. A warm breeze blew into the range, and the flames surged up at once.

With his hands full like this, there was no way for him to toss the contents of the pan. But Chunhua was Chunhua, after all. The palm aimed at the range became a finger, and his internal force passed through this fingertip like a sword, tossing the big pan in the range.

With one hand, Chunhua still held the spatula firmly. With the other, he alternated between stoking the flames with a breeze and tossing the pan. This was all done in perfect harmony.

In a flash, the perfectly seasoned food was finished.

When the food was ready to come off the range, Chunhua emitted a burst of internal force, and the pan leapt up, dropping the food into a waiting plate. Chunhua set down the pan and exerted a bit of strength, and the flames in the range were immediately extinguished.

All these movements had been as smooth as the flow of air and water, without the slightest gap. With the food done, Chunhua put the plate in a waiting food box and picked it up, ready to bring it to Prince Jing.

“Chunhua!” Xiao Hongjian shot toward Chunhua like an arrow. Appreciatively, he said, “Chunhua, your technique is beautiful.”

Chunhua looked at him calmly. Unaffected by the praise, he said, “I’m still nowhere near as good as my master.”

Xiao Hongjian thought he was just being modest. Drawing close, he said in surprise, “Chunhua, you’ve spent so much time in the kitchen, but you don’t smell like oil at all! I always reek of oil when I’ve spent a little time here.”

Of course I can’t smell like oil, though Chunhua, or else Prince Jing wouldn’t let me anywhere near him.

“Chunhua, Chunhua, Grandfather says you have innate concentrated energy, that you’re a natural martial artist. Chunhua, you’re amazing!” Xiao Hongjian’s initial profligate manner had disappeared. His gaze was full of admiration as he watched Chunhua.

“I’m all right,” Chunhua said tepidly. He didn’t think there was anything to admire about this.

“Chunhua, Grandfather says you’re a truly rare woman. He wants to see you alone.” Xiao Hongjian evidently didn’t know yet that Xiao Jinshu wanted Prince Jing to marry Chunhua. He thought that his grandfather agreed with him and wanted to marry Chunhua into the Xiao family.

Chunhua, who was walking in Prince Jing’s direction, stopped in his tracks and asked, “The old marquis wishes to see me alone?”

“Precisely.” Xiao Hongjian looked at Chunhua’s straight brows and sparkling eyes. When he thought of what his grandfather had agreed to, he couldn’t resist blushing a little.

“When?” asked Chunhua.

“As soon as possible!”

“Fine.” Chunhua nodded. “Then I’ll go see the old marquis with you today.”

Wearing his hair in trailing loops, and working hard to improve his cooking, and being sneered at for trying to flatter his way to higher status, and fighting over Prince Jing with a crowd of women—he didn’t want to keep this up for another day. He wanted to become Princess Jing as soon as possible and simply chase away everyone setting their sights on Prince Jing.

After bringing Prince Jing his lunch, Chunhua asked for leave, saying that he was going out. He didn’t give the reason; Prince Jing would certainly have guessed.

“So soon…” Prince Jing touched Chunhua’s trailing hair loops regretfully. “Go put on an apron for me again. There probably won’t be another chance.”

After a pause, Chunhua said, “If Your Highness likes, I can put one on any number of times.”

“There won’t be any need for that,” said Prince Jing. “You’re a kitchen maid now. It’s your duty to wear a kitchen maid’s clothing, and also fun. When you’re a princess, you’ll have to be dignified and sedate. You won’t be able to cook. I want to see you in wedding clothes.”

The period of Emperor Jingren’s wedding to Xiao Jinyi was only a set of memories given to the characters by the system. These were vague and false. Prince Jing couldn’t call that a perfect wedding. But this life was different. He wanted to give Chunhua and himself the grandest wedding possible, where the whole realm would wish them joy.

From an apron to a wedding dress… Chunhua couldn’t even imagine what a colossal eyesore he would be. Anyway, everyone here was as blind as Prince Jing.

After bidding farewell to Prince Jing, Chunhua returned to his room and changed to masculine clothes, saddled a horse (the one for Prince Jing’s special use), and left with Xiao Hongjian.

Xiao Hongjian had also come on horseback. He had wanted to share the saddle with Chunhua and was a little disappointed when he saw Chunhua also leading a horse. But he got a closer look at Chunhua in masculine costume, his eyes lit up irresistibly.

“Chunhua, you look so…valiant, so handsome!” Xiao Hongjian was full of praises, without any sense that his descriptive terms weren’t quite right.

Calmly, Chunhua said, “Understood. Let’s go see the marquis as soon as possible.”

Then he leapt into the saddle, light and nimble. It was clear he was an expert rider.

Xiao Hongjian followed Chunhua. Watching his back, he thought that there was no one as beautiful as Chunhua.

Xiao Jinshu thought the same thing. Seeing Chunhua in fighting attire, he couldn’t resist once again recalling Xiao Jinyi on the battlefield, at the foot of Mobei’s walls, holding back an army of tens of thousands alone. Decades later, stories of Duke Zhenguo still circulated throughout Mobei.

Seeing Chunhua ready to kneel, Xiao Jinshu quickly took both his arms. “Jin…Chunhua, there is no need for formality. Treat this as your own home. Just do as you like.”

Chunhua did as he was bidden and rose, then really did casually sit down in the chair next to Xiao Jinshu, loose and easy, with absolutely no appearance of discomfort. Xiao Hongjian watched Chunhua with admiration. He wanted to sit next to him, but Xiao Jinshu immediately sent him out of the room. The old marquis wanted to talk to Chunhua alone.

“Chunhua, I view you as a member of my own family, so let me ask you directly, do you want to be Prince Jing’s wife?”

“Of course I do,” said Chunhua. “Unfortunately, my status is too low. I’m not worthy to wed His Highness.”

“If you want to, that’s good enough,” Xiao Jinshu said, smiling kindly at him. “The serving girl Chunhua can’t marry Prince Jing, but isn’t Duchess Chunhua, granddaughter of Duke Zhenguo, a perfect match?”

Chunhua was stricken.

Duchess Chunhua… Even with the pronunciation of the second character changed to make it “splendor” instead of “flower,” wasn’t that a little too perfunctory?

Xiao Jinshu couldn’t wait an extra moment. Now that he knew what Chunhua wanted, he took him to the palace to enter the imperial presence. From the moment Emperor Ning’an saw Chunhua, he did not speak for a long time.

“Is it true…that reincarnation exists?” Emperor Ning’an said, gazing at Chunhua in a daze. “Come over here, Chunhua, let us get a good look at you.”

Chunhua bravely came forward and raised his head to gaze upon the successor Emperor Jingren had chosen. Emperor Ning’an had worked hard for many years and was already old. His features seemed very gentle but with a hint of unshakeable resolve. He was a tolerant yet firm man. To be an emperor who loves the people as one’s children, one must have a heart capacious enough to hold the whole nation; to be a decisive emperor, one must have the courage of one’s convictions. If one has these qualities, everything else can be taught.

The child that the young emperor had chosen was a good one.

“Many years ago, we once caught a glimpse of Empress Xiao. Though our mother was the wife of a prince then, she was mocked by her peers for her low birth. With a single look, Empress Xiao made everyone shut their mouths,” Emperor Ning’an said, remembering. “Empress Xiao left her seat and took our hand and our mother’s to lead us to our seats. While her hands were a little coarse, they were also large and reassuring.”

Emperor Ning’an looked down at Chunhua’s hands and continued, “We thought then that the mother of a nation should be like this. She might not be very beautiful or very gentle, but she must have hands that can hold all the people of the realm. The hands do not need to be soft or delicate, but they must be firm and strong and reassure people with their power.

“Since the day Empress Xiao held our hand, we could not forget her hands.” Emperor Ning’an’s eyes were full of longing. “To us, Empress Xiao is the most perfect of women. When the old marquis came to tell us that there was a woman who resembled Empress Xiao, we were a little angry. What person was worthy of being spoken of in the same breath as Empress Xiao? But now that we have seen you, we agree! Hahaha!”

As he laughed brightly, Emperor Ning’an put his hands in Chunhua’s. Chunhua’s hands were very big and dark and made Emperor Ning’an’s delicate hands seem a little small. Chunhua curled his hands slightly, and it was as if Emperor Ning’an’s hands were shielded within.

When he was finished laughing, Emperor Ning’an let out a lengthy sigh. “I truly envy Jingrui for being able to spend his life with a woman like you.

“Attendants, convey our decree. This daughter of the Xiao family is dignified in her bearing, splendid in her beauty. We bestow upon her the title Duchess Chunhua and grant her a union with Prince Jing.”