Chapter 127

Chapter 127: Lull to Sleep

“Coming,” said Huo Zheng, standing first and walking toward Chun Zhi.

He still liked the days back in Peach Blossom Lane, when the little tofu shop held only him and Chun Zhi. [He missed being the only one she called.] Now there was an elder brother too. He kept those thoughts to himself and showed nothing on his face.

“Chun Zhi hasn’t cooked herself for some days,” said Song An Lan as he stood up, smiling. “Today I get to enjoy the prince’s good favor.”

This time, the corner of Huo Zheng’s mouth curled slightly.

Chun Zhi glanced at him and seemed to guess what he was thinking. She reached out and took his hand. His smile grew a little wider.

They ate in the Flower Hall beside the main room. Song Wan’er had been waiting there. Because her sister had cooked, a whole table of dishes steamed and sent out waves of fragrance. Song Wan’er had kept her sister company in the kitchen and knew the food was made for Huo Zheng. When they arrived, she joked with a grin: “Thanks to the prince, we have a feast tonight.”

Huo Zheng smiled and sat down with the Song Clan brother and sister. Chun Zhi took the seat at his side. She had cooked all his favorite dishes and picked out extra for him with her chopsticks.

Outside was all night-dark, but the Flower Hall glowed warm. By the end of the meal, his body was warm and so was his heart.

The Song siblings returned to their own courtyards. Huo Zheng and Chun Zhi walked slowly back to the small yard. The wet nurse said Little Xing Hui had woken hungry. Chun Zhi let go of Huo Zheng’s hand and took the child behind the screen to nurse.

Huo Zheng stood in front of the screen and watched the lamp light cast her shadow there, hazy and soft. He turned his back, but he still heard the baby’s swallowing.

Feeding a child yourself is hard work. In the Imperial House, princes and princesses were always nursed by wet nurses. Most noble mothers wanted to get back their figures quickly and regain favor. Worried Chun Zhi would get too tired, Huo Zheng had already found a good wet nurse, but Chun Zhi only let the woman help carry and care for the child. She said babies fed by their mothers grew stronger and the bond between mother and child would be better. She wasn’t afraid of hard work. Living in Song Manor now, she hardly had to lift a finger. If she still refused to feed her own child, she would feel too idle. She grew up working with her hands and did not like being lazy.

Knowing her nature, Huo Zheng said nothing more.

When Chun Zhi finished nursing, she carried the baby to the bed and soothed him. Huo Zheng sat by the bed and listened to her hum a lullaby. He had never had this kind of warmth as a child. Hearing her gentle humming, he slowly lay down too, joining her and the baby.

Before their wedding, Song An Lan had said they should meet as little as possible. But Huo Zheng came to Song Manor every day, and Song An Lan could not stop him, so he only said the prince could not stay overnight. Tonight, though, the storm raged and travel was hard. Chun Zhi felt for him, running back and forth in the rain. Seeing him lie down, she pulled a quilt over him and kept humming softly.

One lullaby put both father and son to sleep. Watching their sleeping faces, her heart felt soft and full even on a rainy night.

Huo Zheng slept until dawn light. The heavy rain had stopped. Water fell from the eaves like broken strings of beads. He rose quietly, planning to slip away without waking them. Just then the child’s eyes opened wide, dark and bright, and looked at him. Huo Zheng put a finger to his lips and whispered: “Shh,” telling his son not to cry out.

He bent and kissed Chun Zhi on the forehead, tucked the quilt around them both, and sat a while by the bed. [With my wife and child by my side, life is peaceful.] It was a good life, sweet enough to make a man not want to leave.

Little Xing Hui gave a kick and woke Chun Zhi. She opened her eyes and saw Huo Zheng sitting there. One arm held the baby; the other rubbed her eyes: “You are going out.”

“Mm,” he said. “Go back to sleep.”

She tried to get up to see him off, but he pressed her gently back: “It’s still early.”

She was still sleepy and soon drifted off again.

Outside, he washed up and headed toward the gate, where he happened to meet Song An Lan. They ran into each other face to face. Song An Lan was surprised to see that the prince had stayed the night at Song Manor. Huo Zheng kept his face calm and said: “Yesterday the wind and rain were heavy.” Song An Lan nodded in understanding. There was no need to say more. He even walked the prince to the gate himself.

Huo Zheng stepped into his carriage and left Song Manor in the pale morning light.

In the next few days, Song Manor clearly grew quiet. After Chun Zhi, as the Song Clan’s young miss, was granted in marriage to Prince Chang’an by the emperor, Song An Lan had become a new favorite in the Capital. Every day brought piles of calling cards and many people asked to meet him. But once people exposed that Chun Zhi was the daughter of a disgraced official, most decided the marriage might not go through. Without becoming Prince Chang’an’s elder brother-in-law, Song An Lan would be only the richest merchant of Dongzhou, and being just a merchant did not count for much in the Capital. Those who had been eager to befriend him now paused and waited to see what would happen.

Song Wan’er usually did not care, but even she did not ask to go out these days. She knew what the house was facing. Chun Zhi felt it too and kept feeling sorry toward the Song siblings. Both Song An Lan and Song Wan’er told her not to worry. Song An Lan said: “We’ve been busy for days. It’s good to rest.” Song Wan’er said: “I’ve been out so much lately that I’ve piled up a stack of storybooks I haven’t read.”

Neither brother nor sister thought a quiet gate was a bad thing. Hearing them, Chun Zhi relaxed a little.

On the seventh day after her identity was exposed, the Imperial Court was still arguing fiercely over Mu Qing Shan. Those who had sent invitations before, hoping to welcome the future Princess Consort of Chang’an, had all withdrawn them. Only the Princess Royal of Anyang, Huo Qiong Hua, sent a second invitation to Chun Zhi.

Song An Lan brought the card to her himself and asked gently: “An invitation from the Princess Royal of Anyang, this time for you alone. Will you go?”

The last time the Princess Royal Anyang Manor held a flower-viewing party, almost every lady in the Capital attended, and the card sent to Song Manor had invited both Chun Zhi and Song Wan’er. This time, it named only Chun Zhi.

Seeing her hesitate, Song Wan’er said: “If sister doesn’t want to go, we can refuse.”

“Right now everyone treats me as the daughter of a disgraced official and avoids me,” Chun Zhi said, taking the invitation. “Only Aunt Anyang set a special banquet and invited me alone. I will go.”

“Then I will help sister choose what to wear and which jewelry to bring,” said Song Wan’er at once, already thinking about outfits.

Song An Lan nodded: “Good.” Chun Zhi’s courage once again went beyond what he had expected.

The next afternoon, Chun Zhi took Qing Ye and rode by carriage to the Princess Royal of Anyang. This time, the one waiting at the gate was not Court Lady Cao, but Yu Zhu.