Chapter Twenty-One: A Misstep into the Water

They managed to board the boat, but the lake remained unexplored. Most importantly, at the center of the lake stood a pavilion that Gu Li was eager to investigate, but Jin An stopped her, saying that the Emperor had given strict orders: no one but himself was allowed to enter without permission.

Had nothing been said, perhaps Gu Li's curiosity would have passed, but now it only grew stronger. Still, she didn't insist; her spirits were low enough for her to simply nod and return to the garden, dispirited.

It was not until after supper, when night had fallen and the world was quiet, that Gu Li, seizing the opportunity, sneaked toward the lake with Jasmine at her side.

Jasmine followed her princess with a headache, powerless to change anything. She had always known her princess’s nature—obedience was simply not in her character. All she could hope for was that nothing truly disastrous would come of it.

They made their way to the lakeside, where the familiar small boat awaited them. Supporting each other, mistress and maid climbed aboard.

“Hurry, to the pavilion,” Gu Li urged.

Jasmine, resigned, picked up the oar and began to row toward their destination.

After they had rowed about a third of the way, Gu Li complained about Jasmine’s slow progress. “You're rowing like a turtle—at this rate, dawn will break before we reach the pavilion.”

Jasmine felt wronged but could not bring herself to cry.

Despite her words, Gu Li shared a deep bond with Jasmine, and soon picked up the other oar to help. Working together, they finally reached the pavilion after half an hour.

Gu Li, burning with curiosity about what treasures might be hidden inside, pushed the door open and entered. Jasmine lit a lamp, but the room appeared utterly ordinary, no different from their usual quarters.

Yet the fragrance inside was intense—Gu Li was nearly overcome by it, the warmth making her cheeks flush. She went straight to the bed and sat down, only to realize the bed itself was full of mysteries, fitted with mechanisms to assume various positions.

Glancing up, she saw the ceiling was carved with lifelike figures of men and women in passionate embrace, unclothed and entwined in all manner of strange postures.

Though innocent, Gu Li had grown up in the palace and was not entirely ignorant—she recognized at once what was depicted.

She jumped up as if scalded, slapping her burning cheeks, inwardly cursing her father for being such a lecher. So this was the secret of the forbidden pavilion—no one was allowed in, yet for several days her father and mother had sequestered themselves here, emerging only rarely. Now she knew the reason.

Her face burning and her ears tingling, everything in the room suddenly seemed steeped in ambiguity. There was even a bathing tub, with charcoal at hand for heating water, and a pile of clean clothes for changing.

Gu Li picked up a book from the desk and, as expected, found it filled with scandalous illustrations that made her heart race.

She snapped the book shut and immediately turned to leave.

Jasmine, bewildered, couldn’t understand why her princess, who had entered with such enthusiasm, was now in such a hurry to go.

She hurried after her mistress.

Gu Li’s head was full of those shameful images, and she felt as though some terrible beast was pursuing her. In her haste, she hurried down the steps and stepped onto the waiting boat.

Alas, the boat was frail, usually used by palace maids for gathering lotus pods, and long in need of repair. Under the princess’s step, the prow gave a loud crack.

Gu Li had barely steadied herself when she lost her footing and tumbled into the lake.

“Princess!” Jasmine cried out in horror, reaching instinctively to grab her, but the princess’s fall was too swift. With a loud splash, water erupted—the princess had fallen into the lake.