As the sun rose, Rucheng’s eyes opened to the sound of the morning birds singing outside her window. Sighing, she kicked the quilt off her and climbed out of bed.

Pulling on her robe, she kicked her door open as she stretched her limbs. Off to the kitchen, she boiled water and sniffed the medicines and tonics she made in the early hours of the morning. Happy with their smell, she poured them into vials and stored them away in the shade.

She brewed a pot of tea, cinnamon and chilli flavoured just the way she liked it. After drinking a cup, she went to wash and left her brother’s palace.

Rucheng walked along the pathway, greeting the servants who greeted her. Greeting the frowning guards, too. Walking around the crown prince’s palace, she recognized one as Mei Yuan’s palace.

When she arrived there, she was greeted by a servant who let her in. She heard sounds of swords clashing together at the back. Following the servant, she came to a training ground that was set up for Qinghe, who was currently sparring against Yuhua.

She bowed. “Good morning.”

They stopped to look at her and beamed, “Ah-Cheng, you’re early?” Qinghe said as he walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. She kissed him back on his cheek and exchanged kisses with Yuhua, “Mn, I’m here to pick up sister-in-law.”

Qinghe sighed, “Don’t be too hard on her, okay?”

Rucheng raises a brow at him, “Oraboni, you are saying this now when Ah-Ling already told me to not go easy on her. Who should I listen to?”

Qinghe frowned at her. “Who do you think?”

She shrugged. “Your wife will let you know when she returns.”

Turning to Yuhua, she said, “Knowing Ah-Ling, I’ll be busy today and will need you to attend to the princess. I’ll be leaving now. Please be there within an hour with her.”

“What does he have you busy with?” Qinghe questioned, not really caring for the answer.

“With his consort,” she answered nonchalantly as she walked away. Both Yuhua and Qinghe stared at her, dumbfounded.

Snapping out of it, Qinghe frowned, “Wait, wait, wait, Ah-Cheng. We just arrived. How could he have a consort already?”

She stopped and turned around. Shrugging, she answered, “If you want to know, then pay him a visit tomorrow.”

Walking away, she ignored their yells. She returned to Changling’s palace.

Arriving at his chamber, she brought the tea that she set to brew before she left. Setting it down by the table, she opened the windows.

“Did you find him?” Changling’s raspy voice reached her ears.

“Yes,” she answered as she poured him a cup of tea.

She turned around with the cup in hand as Changling got up from his bed and walked down the steps. He walked over to the table and sat down with the cup at his lips.

Swallowing the lemongrass and pomegranate tea, he watched as his sister left his chamber and returned with a green robe. His face changed to disgust. “Where’re my favourite red robes?”

“I never brought them with and this was prepared by Aunty Hye Jeong. I’ll be shopping for your new robes later today when Yuhua and the princess arrive. So please behave yourself when you fetch your consort from the Crown Prince’s palace,” she listlessly warned.

Changling groaned as he got up and turned around. Rucheng slipped the robe up his arms and over his shoulders. “I’ll prepare clothes for you. Will you be having breakfast before or after you retrieve your consort?” she asked him.

“Before my dear sister,” he answered, shaking his arms out.

“Good. I prepared a light breakfast for you. I’ll bring it immediately,” she said and walked away.

Changling sat down and waited. His light breakfast soon came. It was a lettuce salad with slices of lamb inside it. There was a bowl of bone broth and grilled fish, along with the lemongrass and pomegranate tea.

Changling ate as Rucheng brought out silver robes for him with white boots and ran a bath for him. During his breakfast, Changling thought of all the ways he could punish his runaway consort.

When he was done, he threw the green robe to the ground and went for his bath. Rucheng cleared the table, and she walked past the bathing chamber and heard, “Prepare a spare room for him and have the silk hanging from the beams.”

She nodded her head and got straight to work cleaning the dirty dishes, getting ready for lunch and preparing the spare room for Youxian.

Leaving his palace, Changling strolled off to where Rucheng directed him. The guards stationed outside the crown prince’s palace looked at him oddly, but said nothing.

Changling walked past them and kicked the doors open. “Your Highness, what are you doing? This is the Crown Prince’s palace!” One of the guards said, astonished by Changling’s actions.

Changling winked at them and continued forward. The servants came running towards him. Changling’s sharp eyes frightened them. Soon Qiang Wu came out with an angry expression on his face.

Before he could say anything, his eyes met Changling’s fiery gaze. “Br, brother?” he stuttered.

Raising a brow, Changling walked towards him, “Ah-Qiang, I will only ask you once, where is Hwan Youxian?”

As Changling stalked closer, Qiang Wu could feel that if he disobeyed the person before him, something bad would happen. They weren’t that far apart in age, but Changling seemed far stronger than he was.

Qiang Wu’s steps faltered. “I-I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since two days ago,” he lied.

Changling nodded and gave a wicked smile. They stepped into his palace.

Changling closed the door behind him and said, “I will hurt you. Your status and your father won’t be able to save you from my wrath. You heard my question, so answer me.”

Qiang Wu valued the friendship he had with Youxian. Their fathers are best friends and so are they. He trusted Youxian with his life and after hearing about the perverted things Changling was doing to his best friend; he swore that he’d do something about it.

Now that he faced Changling and his threat, he sought to go through with it.

He faced Changling with determination shining through his eyes. “Brother! I don’t appreciate you coming into my palace and making demands! I told you I don’t know where he is an…” before he could finish, he was sent to the ground with a resounding slap.

Qiang Wu cupped his face that was in pain.

It felt like he was hit in the face by a wooden plank. He looked up at Changling in shock. Swallowing hard, he asked, “Brother?”

Changling stepped forward with a hardened gaze. He grabbed Qiang Wu by the jaw and squeezed it hard. Changling looked down at him, then brought him up to eye level.

Smiling at him, he said, “I want what’s mine and you won’t stand in my way.”