In spring, the snow that had covered Suye City through winter began to melt. This afternoon, Pei You’an returned from outside, and not seeing his daughter, guessed she must be playing in the back garden. Just as he was about to look for her, he heard a voice calling “Father” from the corridor outside. Looking up, he saw his daughter’s small figure appear at the doorway, stepping over the threshold and running toward him. His face broke into a smile as he hurried to meet her, picking her up in his arms. Seeing fine beads of sweat on her nose and her bangs sticking to her forehead, he asked Jiafu, who accompanied her and was told that she had been running around playing, which had made her sweat.

Though spring had arrived, the weather was still cold. Jiafu took her daughter to wash her hair and bathe. After finishing, they changed her into dry, warm clothes. Seeing that her daughter’s bangs had grown a bit long, covering her eyes, she was about to call for the nurse in the manor who knew how to style hair, when Pei You’an had already picked up his daughter and placed her on the stool in front of the dressing table. He took a small pair of scissors, saying he would cut it for her, guaranteeing it wouldn’t be worse than what the nurse would do.

A-Yuan was two years old, going on three, looking exactly like Jiafu when she was young. Milk-white skin, round bright eyes, a delicate nose, cherry lips, fair and adorable. The chubby little girl extended a small hand with short, plump fingers, the back of her hand showing a few dimpled indentations, yet she already knew how to appreciate beauty. Seeing her father wanting to trim her bangs, she sat obediently in front of the mirror, not moving at all.

When Pei You’an made the first cut, the bangs became somewhat crooked. A-Yuan expressed her dissatisfaction. As a father, he tried to fix it, but the more he fixed, the shorter it became, until finally he managed to get it straight, but what had been a neat, beautiful row of bangs was reduced to a very short stubble.

Tears gradually welled up in A-Yuan’s eyes.

Her father had thought that cutting bangs evenly was a simple matter, never expecting to end up with this result. Seeing his daughter on the verge of tears, he was full of regret. Just then, Jiafu came in and seeing her daughter’s short bangs, exclaimed, “How did it get cut so short?”

A-Yuan could no longer hold back and burst into tears with a “wah!”

Pei You’an became flustered, hurrying to comfort his daughter, but the more he tried, the more heartbrokenly she cried.

After trying everything to console her, Pei You’an finally remembered and said he would take her to the capital in a few days.

A-Yuan already knew about this. She had been eagerly anticipating that in a few days, when the ice and snow melted, her parents would take her to a place called the capital to visit her brother who lived there. Hearing her father say this, she became happy, but then she thought about how ugly her father had cut her hair and worried that if her brother saw it, he might not like her. She couldn’t help but sob again, tears falling once more.

Pei You’an told her that no matter what, her brother would like her. He also said that the journey to the capital would take a month or two, and by the time they arrived, her hair would have grown back, and A-Yuan would be as beautiful and adorable as before. Only then did the little girl finally break into a smile, and begin eagerly counting the days until their departure.

Finally, on this day, with everything arranged, Pei You’an and Jiafu took A-Yuan and set off on their journey back to the capital.

This was their first return to the capital in three years.

During these years, although she had her husband and little daughter by her side, whenever Jiafu saw A-Yuan, she would often unconsciously think of what Ci’er looked like as a child. She still remembered the scene of their last meeting with their eldest son—he was still a sixteen-year-old youth then. Now, three years had passed, and he was about to have his grand wedding.

After setting off, everything went smoothly. On this day, they reached the outskirts of the capital and stopped at a relay station to rest. The Minister of Rites came out fifty li from the city and commanded to personally welcome the Duke and Duchess of Jin. They stayed at the relay station for a night, and arrived at the capital before dark the next day, with the family settling in the mansion where they had lived for many years before.

That night, the Emperor came in disguise, and father and son, mother and son were reunited.

Although three years had passed, and the sixteen-year-old youth from that day had grown into a young man, completely an adult in appearance, as soon as he opened his mouth with a heartfelt, familiar “Father, Mother,” it immediately dispelled all the anxiety Jiafu had felt due to their separation in time and space. Only joy and excitement remained as her eyes reddened, and tears fell uncontrollably.

The young Emperor smiled as he wiped away her tears, exchanging a glance with his father, who smiled silently beside her. Between father and son, there was complete understanding.

“Brother, I am A-Yuan!”

Although A-Yuan had never seen her brother since birth, she had deeply embedded him in her mind from her parents’ descriptions. Finally seeing him tonight, she immediately took a liking to this handsome brother. Seeing him wipe their mother’s tears, she ran over and tightly hugged his leg, looking up at him with a smile.

The Emperor, all smiles, picked up his tiny sister and lifted her high above his head, just as he had been lifted when he first met his grandfather as a child. He held her up for a long time, as if only in this way could he express the affection he felt for her at this moment.

A-Yuan was beside herself with joy. All evening, she clung tightly to her imperial brother, who continued to hold her, filling the house with her laughter.

As the night deepened, Jiafu left father and son to talk in the study while she managed, with some difficulty, to coax her daughter to sleep.

A-Yuan lay in bed, still chattering away about her brother this and her brother that, saying that her brother would take her to his place in the morning. She was extremely excited, and it wasn’t until deep into the night, when she was too tired to keep her eyelids open, that she finally drifted off to sleep.

Jiafu took A-Yuan to bed, leaving the two men in the study. The Emperor proactively mentioned to his father several major state affairs he was currently handling. Pei You’an nodded and smiled, “I know you have your plans, and I have no concerns. However, there is one matter…”

He paused.

“Father, please speak,” the Emperor immediately stood up and said respectfully.

Pei You’an asked him to sit down. “You probably already know, it concerns the Zhang family’s granddaughter. Some time ago, I received a letter from Lord Zhang Ming, implying pessimism about his daughter being appointed as Empress. Ci’er, the Zhang granddaughter will soon complete her mourning period. What are your plans now regarding the marriage arranged years ago?”

“In matters of marriage, I defer entirely to my parents’ wishes. What do Father and Mother think?” the Emperor said, his expression neutral.

Pei You’an pondered.

Three years ago, after his own firm decision to leave, Zhang Shiyong was implicated in Yang Song’s case and subsequently forced to claim illness and retire.

Pei You’an knew well that this was because Zhang Shiyong was reluctant to let go of power and position, while the young Emperor, ambitious and soaring like a hawk first striking the vast sky, how could he be willing to have the former “mandated minister” restraining him?

Once the ruler and minister fell out of step, such a result was inevitable.

At that time, he had not intervened but watched quietly. After the dust settled, as a form of compensation and also for balance, he came up with the idea of appointing the Zhang granddaughter as Empress.

When he proposed it, his son immediately agreed. Now that the Zhang family was showing signs of retreat, Pei You’an could not decide, so he asked for his son’s opinion.

Hearing his response, he said, “You are already nineteen and not yet married. Even if you don’t appoint Miss Zhang, you must choose someone else to be Empress. Your marriage is both a private family matter and a court affair concerning the national institution, better stable than changing. If I’m not mistaken, the Zhang family doesn’t truly want this connection but rather is still traumatized by past events. My opinion is, since Miss Zhang was already chosen as the future Empress and this is known throughout the realm, if you don’t have another girl in mind, rather than breaking the promise and causing court officials to gossip, it would be better to reassure the Zhang family and treat them well in the future. Hold the wedding as soon as possible to put the minds of the court officials and people at ease.”

He gazed at his son’s handsome face, thinking of how he had been separated from his parents at just three years old to enter the palace, studying daily regardless of season, learning how to be the ruler of this vast empire. By seven, when other children were still enjoying their parents’ affection, he had already ascended the throne. No one knew the hardships better than himself. His voice unconsciously softened, “Ci’er, when I chose the Zhang granddaughter for you back then, I already had some knowledge. The Zhang family has been a scholar for generations with strict family discipline. Their granddaughter is both talented and beautiful, gentle and virtuous, very well-matched with you. If you marry her, she will certainly be your mutual support in the future.”

“I will follow my parents’ decision in everything,” the Emperor recalled the Zhang granddaughter’s private words to her father. His gaze flickered slightly, but his face remained impassive as he stood up and respectfully responded.

The next morning, as soon as A-Yuan opened her eyes, she saw Jiafu’s smiling face telling her that the people her brother had sent to pick her up had already arrived and were waiting outside. With a cheer, she didn’t linger in bed but scrambled out of the warm covers, eagerly urging her mother to dress her and do her hair. She ate her breakfast in big gulps, and finally, led by Jiafu, she went happily to the front hall. There she saw a round-faced person dressed in red robes who, upon seeing her, quickly ran over, bowed, and called her Little Princess while paying respects.

Before going to sleep the night before, her brother had repeatedly apologized to her, saying he had matters to attend to in the morning and couldn’t come to pick her up personally, but would send someone called Cui Ban’er. Seeing this person smiling benevolently, looking quite kind, she asked, “Are you Cui Ban’er?”

“Oh my, I wouldn’t dare. Little Princess, just call me Eunuch Cui.”

Cui Yinshui was now in his forties, round-faced, and though he had put on weight since his youth, he didn’t look much older. He was now the chief eunuch in the palace. After exchanging a few jokes with A-Yuan, he bowed to Jiafu and said, “Duchess, this servant will now take the Little Princess into the palace. Rest assured, this servant will take good care of the Little Princess.”

Cui Yinshui had always been good with children, so there was nothing to worry about. Jiafu instructed her daughter not to cause trouble, then let go of her hand, watching as her daughter skipped away with Cui Yinshui.

After court, the Emperor set aside all affairs to take his sister to the Swan House, Peacock House, and other places with rare birds and exotic animals in the Western Garden. She was so delighted that she forgot about going home, and that night she stayed in the palace. The next day was the same. It wasn’t until the third day, when the novelty began to wear off and she started missing her parents, that she left the palace to return home.

Within a few days, all the court officials knew that the Zhang granddaughter had completed her mourning period for her grandfather, and the Ministry of Rites began preparing for the Emperor’s grand wedding. The Duke and Duchess of Jin had returned to the capital precisely for this matter. After calculations by the Imperial Observatory, the date for the grand wedding was set for an auspicious day three months later.

Several years ago, when Pei You’an proposed appointing the Zhang granddaughter as Empress, Jiafu had secretly paid attention to that girl. She knew her name was Xi Guang, and from Lady Liu Jiushao who had met her, learned that she was not only beautiful but also exceptionally talented. Lady Liu also said what was most valuable was that the girl had a lively nature, smiled a lot, had a natural elegance without any affectation, and was very endearing.

Lady Liu had nothing but praise for her.

Jiafu was very satisfied upon hearing this.

A woman combining beauty and talent, though rare, was not impossible to find.

What most pleased her was the girl’s temperament as described by Lady Liu, which seemed to complement her son perfectly.

With her son becoming Emperor, taking a wife also meant appointing an Empress, no longer just his personal affair. Although in her heart, Jiafu also hoped he could find a wonderful woman, unite two hearts as one, and last forever, just like herself and his father.

But considering his status, and also because of the years of separation between mother and son, out of respect for his true feelings, Jiafu had never expressed such expectations to her son.

Jiafu only hoped that the woman who would stand beside her son as Empress would be a girl smart enough.

Jiafu understood her son.

His heart was too vast, so vast that even she as his mother didn’t fully understand it.

And his wife, even as Empress, titled “Mother of the Nation,” would have her world limited to that small realm of the inner palace.

That realm was too narrow.

If that girl wasn’t smart enough if she viewed that small realm and her Emperor husband as her entire world, over time, no matter how beautiful or talented she was, she would likely lose sight of herself in the daily cycle of hope and disappointment, and ultimately lose her true self.

Like a brilliant pearl gradually becoming a worthless fish eye.

Such tragedies for women have been performed generation after generation in that magnificent palace, all too common.

Jiafu hoped that this Zhang granddaughter, even after many years, would still maintain what Lady Liu called a “natural elegance” and her lively, smiling nature.

If so, it would be fortunate for her, and also fortunate for her son.

On this day, Jiafu took A-Yuan to the Changning Villa in the western part of the city.

This was a garden her son had given to his sister, named after A-Yuan’s title. Since learning of her birth two years ago, he had begun selecting a site and building it near the Western Garden of the Imperial Palace. It was only completed a few months ago, connected to the Taiye Pool, occupying a vast area with pavilions, towers, terraces, rare flowers, and unusual plants—breathtakingly beautiful.

Jiafu stayed at the villa for a night. The next day, using flower viewing as a pretext, she sent people to invite Xi Guang to the villa.

A few days ago, Xi Guang had learned from her father that their attempt to break off the engagement was futile, greatly disappointing her.

After the disappointment, since the matter was settled, all she could do now was wait for the grand wedding.

The Duke of Jin had come to visit, and afterward, her father told her that the Duke had said the Emperor had appointed her as Empress out of respect for her grandfather, and the Duke asked her father not to worry.

Though she didn’t know if it was true, with these words from the Duke of Jin, her father had at least found some peace of mind.

Since the Duke of Jin’s visit, her father seemed much more relaxed than before.

Then, the Emperor’s actions seemed to confirm the Duke’s words.

During her grandfather’s memorial service on the first anniversary of his death, the Emperor personally wrote a eulogy. Her two brothers, who had completed their mourning period, were not only restored to their positions but also received promotions.

These successive favors, in others’ eyes, were naturally the Emperor’s grace to a family that had assisted him for many years, and everyone envied them.

During this time, Xi Guang could only wait for the wedding day, not going out at all or socializing with others. Until this day, when she received an invitation from the Duchess of Jin, she dared not neglect it. Only then did she go out, getting into the carriage sent to pick her up, and arrive at the villa.

The Duchess of Jin looked very young, at most in her early thirties. She took her to the garden, casually chatting while viewing flowers, with only the Little Princess skipping alongside them. Even the maids followed at a distance, creating an extremely relaxed atmosphere.

Xi Guang had been a bit nervous before coming.

After all, the Duke of Jin’s influence on the Emperor was known throughout the court. She had heard that since arriving in the capital, the Little Princess came and went in the Imperial Palace as if it were her garden, and the Emperor even set aside court affairs to personally accompany her on a tour of the Western Garden for several days.

But now, after meeting the Duchess of Jin and the Little Princess, Xi Guang quickly relaxed.

Not only was the Little Princess lively and adorable, quickly becoming familiar with her, but the Duchess was also very kind, without any airs.

She could tell that the Duchess seemed to like her very much, and a feeling of closeness naturally arose in her heart.

The Duchess told her many things about the Emperor.

What the Emperor liked to eat, what books he liked to read, and finally said, “Xi Guang, the Emperor may seem difficult to approach, but that’s because he’s been very lonely since childhood. So you must not fear him, nor hesitate to show your true nature in front of him.”

“I like you very much, and I think the Emperor, once he knows how wonderful you are, will surely like you too.”

Xi Guang was stunned, staring at the smiling Duchess, suddenly recalling a rumor she had heard several years ago.

It was said that the Duke of Jin was the son of the late Emperor and the “Divine Lady” of those years. Due to his complicated origins, he was adopted by the Marquis of Wei, who was like a brother to the late Emperor, and the current Emperor was the Duke of Jin’s son.

Such rumors, from unknown origins, were so absurd that after circulating for a while, they gradually faded away.

But at this moment, Xi Guang suddenly had a strange feeling, as if she sensed an extraordinary deep love from the Duchess for the “Emperor” she spoke of.

A warm current gradually rose from the depths of her heart.

She gazed at the woman before her who looked at her with earnest hope, and slowly, firmly nodded, “Rest assured, Duchess, I will try my best.”

“Sister, let’s go swing! I love swinging!” the Little Princess suddenly grabbed Xi Guang’s hand, pointing to a swing ahead, exclaiming happily.

Xi Guang had also loved swinging since childhood and was quite daring. In the past, during the annual Girls’ Festival when young ladies gathered to swing, she always swung the highest and most gracefully, winning first place year after year.

She looked at the Duchess.

The Duchess smiled, “Go ahead, but be careful.”

Xi Guang nodded, took the Little Princess’s hand, and went toward the swing.

She stood on the swing and, amid the applause and cheers of the Little Princess who looked up at her with admiring eyes and the maids who were gradually attracted over, she swung higher and higher into the wind, as if returning to her carefree adolescent years, revealing a smile she hadn’t shown for a long time.

The Emperor, learning that his mother and sister had arrived at the villa yesterday and would stay for a few days, came from the palace that afternoon, wanting to spend more time with them. However, he was attracted by the laughter floating from the garden and followed it, witnessing this scene.

From a distance, he saw a beautiful young woman in crimson robes standing on the swing he had specially built for the Little Princess. Wisteria hung like a waterfall, her fair wrists like snow, light and graceful as a swallow, swinging with the wind, wide sleeves fluttering, clothes billowing, face wreathed in smiles. Her laughter carried on the wind to his ears, carefree and unburdened, like a celestial being descended to earth.

The Emperor did not approach further but stood there, silently watching for a long time.

Xi Guang played with the Little Princess for quite a while, until the Little Princess grew tired. Only then did she accompany the maids to take her back to rest.

Her hair had become somewhat disheveled from the wind while swinging. As Xi Guang was fixing it, she discovered that a pearl flower hairpin by her temple was missing, suspecting it had fallen into the grass while swinging. With a maid accompanying her, she returned along the original path to search.

After searching for quite some time, combing through every inch of grass under the swing, there was no sign of the pearl flower.

Xi Guang had no choice but to give up. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard a male voice from behind, “Is this what you’re looking for?”

Xi Guang turned around abruptly to see a handsome young man who had appeared from nowhere, standing there with his gaze directed at her.

In his palm, he held an object—precisely the pearl flower she had lost.

Xi Guang was startled, truly not understanding how a strange young man could have entered this place. She immediately turned to leave quickly when suddenly, she halted, slowly turned back, and looked at the young man again.

He stood there, tall and straight, his gaze direct, his brow naturally commanding, subtly exuding a kind of intimidating power that only those in the highest positions possess.

In the back garden of the Duchess of Jin’s villa, coming and going as if it were uninhabited—who else in this world could it be but that person?

Xi Guang’s heart suddenly raced, and she forgot to kneel and pay respects to him, standing frozen, watching with wide eyes as he walked toward her, finally stopping in front of her.

The young Emperor was very tall, and with them so close, he was looking down at her.

Xi Guang finally reacted, gathered herself, and hurriedly knelt before him.

His gaze lingered for a moment on her face, still flushed from swinging, then slowly fell to her temple where the pearl flower was missing. He raised his hand and gently inserted the pearl flower back into her hair, his movement very gentle.

Xi Guang’s heart beat even faster, her face instantly turning crimson, even the roots of her ears burning hot. She was at a loss for what to do or how to react.

Should she thank him or do something else?

Before she could decide, she suddenly felt a shadow looming over her, and a voice near her ear said, “I heard that you look down on the position of my Empress, that you don’t want to be my Empress.”

Xi Guang froze, slowly raising her head to see the young man slightly bending down, his gaze fixed on her, his expression half-smiling, half-not.

“You’re not wrong in your thinking. Being my Empress is indeed a terrible thing. But you have no choice, understand? You want to grow melons and beans—that’s not difficult. Come to the Imperial Palace, and I’ll let you grow melons and beans for a lifetime.”

His face drew closer, so close that she could almost smell the dragon musk fragrance on his clothes. He said this to her in an almost whispered, seemingly teasing yet threatening tone. After finishing, he straightened up, casually said, “You may rise,” and turned to leave with long strides.

The young Emperor, having finally said to the girl what had been stuck in his throat, as he left, caught a glimpse through the corner of his eye of her pale face, frozen like a wooden chicken. His mood suddenly became unprecedentedly good.

Bringing her over to grow melons and beans in the Kunning Palace seemed like a not-bad idea.

He thought happily.