Volume One, Chapter 11: Your Majesty, You Smell Divine

“Knock, knock, knock!”

A rapid pounding sounded at the door. Yun Jin Hua, who had half removed her outer garment, hastily put it back on.

“Miss, I’ve caught a thief. Should you interrogate him yourself, or hand him over to the authorities?” Qing Dai called from outside, raising her voice.

Yun Jin Hua’s eyes grew cold and distant—no commoner is guilty, yet possessing a treasure can bring trouble.

She had just reclaimed her dowry and received a generous reward from the emperor. Such a vast sum of silver had evidently attracted unwanted attention.

Yet if even her maid couldn’t subdue the thief, then this scoundrel had courage but no wits!

“Bring him to the flower hall.”

With those words, Yun Jin Hua stepped out of her room.

The thief’s head hung low, nearly touching his chest. At the sound of the door, he suddenly raised his head.

Bathed in the moonlight, his tall, slender figure stood serene. His phoenix-like eyes held a smile, entirely devoid of the panic expected in a thief.

It was Yun Jin Hua who felt her heart pounding wildly, its rhythm thrown off.

“Em… Ah, Brother Huang! Please, come in quickly,” she stammered, hastily pushing him inside and closing the door behind him.

Qing Dai blinked her bright eyes suspiciously. “Miss, do you two know each other?”

“We’re old friends of many years. He came to visit upon hearing I returned to the capital but was mistaken by you. Enough—after a long separation, we have much to discuss. Wait outside the second gate and don’t let anyone disturb us,” Yun Jin Hua waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh.” Qing Dai walked away but couldn’t help glancing back repeatedly.

This guest was clearly sneaky, and her lady was flustered.

Who visits by scaling walls so late at night?

Still, there was no cause for undue worry.

That man was no match for her; if he had ill intentions, he’d be in big trouble.

Back inside, Yun Jin Hua found the man sitting confidently in a rosewood chair, holding a blue-and-white porcelain teacup in his long, alabaster fingers, smiling warmly at her.

His figure was bathed in the soft glow of lamplight; his fair complexion appeared even more exquisite—like translucent jade, handsome as creamy white jade.

His long eyebrows resembled willow branches, and his narrow phoenix eyes shimmered like late spring’s lingering snow—bright and radiant, with a subtle chill barely perceptible beneath their softness.

His straight nose and sharply defined lips were tinted with a faint cherry hue.

Yun Jin Hua stared at him, reluctant to shift her gaze from his face for a long time.

In recent years, the men she had seen on battlefields were robust, steel-willed warriors—unrefined, bold, their voices booming, exuding raw masculinity.

But this man before her was regal and elegant, handsome as a celestial exile on earth.

Most striking was his clean, fresh aura and the faint fragrance that lingered at her nostrils, entwining and refusing to dissipate.

“Your Majesty, you smell so nice!” she blurted, sniffing deeply, her head jerking as an untimely compliment escaped her lips.

A light chuckle escaped his throat—it was like a clear mountain spring or a delicate finger plucking a string, ineffably charming.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty; I have been rude,” Yun Jin Hua realized belatedly and bent her knees to kneel, her ears tinged a faint red.

What had she done?

Teased the emperor with her words?

“I do not blame you,” Xiao Jin An said with a suppressed smile, reaching out to help her up.

The decisive general on the battlefield saw before him that same innocent, naive girl.

The thin calluses on her hands caused him to frown slightly.

Once upon a time, she had been as tender as a blooming flower.

Yun Jin Hua withdrew her hands as if electrified.

There were distinctions between sovereign and subject, and between men and women.

He might not regard himself as a mere man, but she must always remember he was the exalted monarch—untouchable.

“Jin Hua, we have known each other for many years. Why must you be so distant with me?” Xiao Jin An’s voice carried an unspoken grievance.

“Your Majesty, you come at this late hour to my humble abode, but I do not know your purpose,” Yun Jin Hua bowed respectfully, consciously keeping her distance.

Back then, she had no inkling he was a prince, let alone that the boy who desired nothing more than a safe, uneventful life would one day become the sovereign emperor.

“Jin Hua, do you know why today at court I disregarded protocol and confronted the ministers?” Xiao Jin An’s lips curved subtly.

The young lady was clever, always able to guess his thoughts with ease.

“You wish to be a wise ruler, knowing well that culture secures the nation and military strength holds it firm. So you honor both letters and arms. Your favor is not for me alone, but for tens of thousands who train in martial arts. Your Majesty, I believe that soon Nanling will enjoy peace, prosperity, and harmony,” Yun Jin Hua said earnestly.

Xiao Jin An remained silent.

Your perspective has broadened, but you’ve only opened six of your seven orifices!

“Jin Hua, I did this for you. One must never forget friends in poverty…”

“Oh, so the emperor has always cherished our brotherly bond,” Yun Jin Hua relaxed completely.

The emperor was truly a man of loyalty and affection.

When they swore their oath under heaven, they promised, “If fortune comes, never forget one another.”

Xiao Jin An looked at her bright smile and suppressed the wave of sorrow within.

The girl had just endured betrayal and heartbreak; she would more readily accept brotherly love.

Give her time to adjust, and he must not appear as a despicable opportunist.

Very well, let it start with brotherhood—it was not unfamiliar territory.

“Jin Hua, we share an oath like no other. Believe me, I will never betray you. For your sake, I am willing to oppose the whole world, only to protect your peace,” Xiao Jin An spoke with deep sincerity.

Yun Jin Hua was baffled; this sounded more like a declaration of love than a brother’s promise.

Alas, that old Li Grand Tutor fancied himself the emperor’s mentor!

His teachings were far from eloquent.

No wonder the emperor, having spent sixteen years as an unloved prince, received no special favors.

The tutors and instructors he had were likely the worst.

Sigh, those misguided by Li Grand Tutor must be corrected little by little!

As the emperor’s sworn brother, Yun Jin Hua felt the weight of responsibility keenly.

“Your Majesty, you are now the ruler of the nation. How can you oppose the whole world? Always remember, the people of Nanling are your subjects. You must cherish and care for them. Only when they live in peace and prosperity will Nanling become a strong country,” Yun Jin Hua admonished earnestly.

Xiao Jin An’s long eyes twitched slightly: So, the good of all is truly the good.

“Miss! Miss! There’s trouble! Several men bearing the palace guards’ badges have arrived outside the mansion. Their commander says a national treasure was stolen from the palace at night, and they have tracked the thief all the way here—to the residence of the General Who Defends the Nation,” Qing Dai pounded anxiously on the door.

She had said she caught a thief!

But how could her noble lady be acquainted with a thief?