12: A Foreign Gaze · Love’s Probe Within the Palace

Summer in the Southern Tribes was bold and brilliant.

In the palace city, the air was thick with the fragrance of rare flowers. On either side of the winding paths, flame-red phoenix trees bloomed in clusters. Their petals danced in the breeze, fluttering across carved balustrades and jade-tiled roofs, dyeing the entire palace in a dreamlike hue.

That year, Li Zhiyu was thirteen—just stepping into the bloom of maidenhood.

She sat barefoot beneath a phoenix tree, clad in a sheer gauze dress embroidered with golden phoenixes. Her legs swung gently in the shade as she gazed toward the distant palace gates, excitement and anticipation sparkling in her eyes.

Today, the diplomatic envoy from Great Yan was arriving.

And among them—according to rumor—was the Third Prince of Great Yan, the young man who, at just eighteen, had already made his name in war and court alike.

Li Zhiyu had long heard tales of this prince.

A youth crowned with early valor, solemn and reticent, praised for his unmatched martial skill and strategic brilliance. They said he was the most likely heir to the imperial throne.

But she wasn't drawn to his reputation.

What she truly longed to see… was the man himself.

The palace gates opened.

The envoy approached slowly from afar.

Li Zhiyu held her breath.

He rode a jet-black stallion, clad in dark brocade robes. A jade belt adorned with precious gems circled his waist. His features were sharply defined, his expression calm and distant. His eyes were cool as moonlight—still and deep—with an unshakable composure and quiet authority resting between his brows.

He wore no excessive airs, and yet his presence was impossible to ignore. Like the silent weight of a storm held in check.

Li Zhiyu was stunned.

She had never seen a man like this.

The noble sons of the Southern Tribes were charming and bright, their smiles tinged with playful elegance. But Xiao Zhengyu… he was like a blade hidden in the dark—its edge unseen, yet impossible to forget.

"Your Highness…" she whispered softly.

Just then, his gaze swept over the gathered crowd—and for a fleeting second, it landed on her.

Only a second.

But Li Zhiyu's heart skipped a beat.

Those eyes—deep as autumn waters—carried a trace of cold aloofness, and something unreadable, something elusive.

She stared, breath caught.

He offered the barest nod—then turned his gaze away and rode past her into the palace.

He never looked back.

And yet, in that moment, it felt as though something within her had been stirred—quietly, irreversibly.

She gathered the hem of her dress and lowered her lashes.

So… such a man truly existed.

One glance—and he was carved into her memory.

From that day on, she remembered his name.

Xiao Zhengyu.

And the silhouette of him atop a black horse remained etched in her heart ever since.

The state banquet had ended, yet the lights within the palace still burned softly in the night.

A gentle breeze skimmed the surface of the imperial garden's pond, casting ripples across the stars reflected there. One by one, envoys and nobles took their leave.

But Li Zhiyu did not return with the Southern delegation.

She had dismissed her attendants and walked alone beneath the moonlight, waiting silently in the palace corridor.

Before long, Xiao Zhengyu emerged from the banquet hall—still clad in his signature dark robes. The flickering candlelight danced across his composed features, unwavering as ever.

Her heartbeat quickened.

She stepped forward with a radiant smile. "Your Highness."

Xiao Zhengyu halted, his gaze settling on her. He offered a slight nod. "Princess Li. The hour is late—should you not be resting?"

Li Zhiyu's smile softened, her eyes tender. "The banquet was magnificent, and Great Yan's beauty is difficult to part with. The moon is lovely tonight… I wished to take a longer walk."

He gave no reply. He merely looked at her, his silence calm but heavy.

Li Zhiyu's eyes flickered, her voice turning gentle—tinged with earnestness. "In truth, it's not the palace I'm reluctant to leave… it's someone else."

As her words fell, a breeze stirred, making the golden bells in her hair tinkle faintly.

She lifted her eyes, looking directly at him, emotion shimmering beneath her lashes.

"Since I first saw Your Highness outside the Southern palace gates when I was thirteen, I've never forgotten you. You are unlike any man I've ever known. If I could remain in Great Yan… to see you each day… would that not be a blessing?"

Her voice was soft. A faint blush dusted her cheeks—girlish shyness, paired with the quiet resolve of a princess.

The corridor was silent. Only the lanterns in the distance flickered gently in the night.

Xiao Zhengyu's gaze lowered slightly, unreadable.

Li Zhiyu stepped closer. Her hem brushed softly against the floor. "I've heard that Southern and Yan relations have always been strong. If I ask my father's permission to remain here a while longer… would Your Highness allow it?"

He finally spoke.

His voice was calm—firm, yet distant. "Your heart is sincere, Princess. But as a noble daughter of Southern Man, your future lies in your homeland. Why choose to remain in a foreign land?"

"I don't feel Great Yan is foreign," she replied, smiling gently. "And besides, if a union between our nations were possible… would that not be a perfect match—?"

Her words were cut short as Xiao Zhengyu paused, then replied—measured and clear, yet carrying a finality that left no room for doubt.

"Your future rests with your father's will. As for me…"

He paused again. His expression did not change.

"I have yet to consider marriage. But I thank you for your kindness."

Li Zhiyu's smile faltered for just a moment. Her fingers curled slightly. Still, she maintained her poise.

Her voice was soft, tinged with unwillingness. "Have you not considered it… or have you simply never met the right person?"

Xiao Zhengyu looked down. "Fate will guide such matters. It is not something to be forced."

Polite. Distant. Without promise.

Li Zhiyu's heart sank, though she quickly masked the disappointment in her eyes.

"…Then let fate decide," she said with a smile, stepping back with grace. "But this journey to Great Yan has made one thing very clear to me."

She gazed at him, her voice low. "You are unlike anyone else I have ever known."

Xiao Zhengyu said nothing more. He offered a polite bow. "It is late. Please rest well, Princess."

Then he turned and walked away—his steps steady, never looking back.

Li Zhiyu remained standing in the corridor, watching his figure fade into shadow. Her palm curled slightly, her gaze darkening.

That night, she dismissed her maids and summoned her most trusted servant.

"Have you inquired about the Third Prince's betrothal?" she asked in a low voice.

The attendant bowed. "It's said that he was once engaged to a princess of Xiliang, but…"

Li Zhiyu's eyes narrowed. "But what?"

The servant answered softly, "The Kingdom of Xiliang has fallen. The princess… was said to have perished in the war."

A flicker of emotion crossed Li Zhiyu's face. She tapped her fingers lightly against the table, deep in thought.

"…Gone?"

A smile curved at the corner of her lips—soft, but unreadable.

"Then he is untethered."

She had thought—believed—this time, she might finally stir something in him.

But he… remained unmoved.

Still.

She would not give up so easily.

The moon shone silver against the palace walls.

Li Zhiyu whispered to herself, "A land as splendid as Great Yan… how could I possibly leave so soon?"

Her smile deepened, and her eyes glittered with something far more than longing.