From the day she discovered her husband had been transferred away from the capital, Li Yuniang had already guessed that Emperor Jiande would definitely approach her again.
So when that day truly arrived, Li Yuniang didn’t panic.
The worst case would be falling into Emperor Jiande’s hands; if fortunate, perhaps she could escape unscathed.
In any case, Li Yuniang never considered death. If she died, she would truly have nothing left.
Emperor Jiande chose to come when the Seventh Prince was absent, still sitting in the side chamber, waiting for her.
In early summer, Li Yuniang’s clothing was thin, displaying her full figure even more obviously.
Emperor Jiande made no effort to conceal his purpose, still having Li Yuniang come to massage his legs. When Li Yuniang approached, Emperor Jiande impatiently grabbed her hand and pulled her forcefully upward, causing Li Yuniang to fall into his embrace.
Li Yuniang didn’t dodge, which delighted Emperor Jiande. He wasn’t in a rush to take the final step, holding Li Yuniang while looking down at her: “Why are you so obedient this time?”
Li Yuniang smiled and took the initiative to kiss Emperor Jiande’s lips.
This was Emperor Jiande’s first encounter with such a bold woman. Pressing Li Yuniang’s head, he took control, and after the lengthy kiss ended, Emperor Jiande carried Li Yuniang to the couch in the side chamber. Li Yuniang’s clothing was disheveled, and seeing her cooperation, Emperor Jiande prepared to take his pill while Li Yuniang wasn’t paying attention.
Just then, Li Yuniang suddenly slipped out from beneath him like a swimming fish.
Emperor Jiande looked at Li Yuniang in confusion. At this point, don’t tell him she was unwilling.
Li Yuniang got off the couch and stood barefoot on the ground, arranging her clothing with one hand while raising her eyes to look at Emperor Jiande, asking softly: “Your Majesty, what do you think—how does kissing your subject’s wife differ from kissing the palace ladies?”
Emperor Jiande frowned: “What do you mean?”
Li Yuniang smiled: “Your Majesty hasn’t answered your subject’s wife yet.”
Emperor Jiande found her charming appearance quite pleasing and thought for a moment, “No difference.”
Women were all the same when kissing and embracing. Only Li Yuniang’s different status brought more psychological stimulation.
Li Yuniang asked again: “Then, when Your Majesty held your subject’s wife, did you feel she was better than the ladies in any way?”
Emperor Jiande didn’t answer again.
No matter how good Li Yuniang’s figure was, the palace wasn’t without women more alluring and voluptuous than her. Emperor Jiande’s interest in Li Yuniang wasn’t purely about coveting her body or beauty. But women all liked sweet words, and Emperor Jiande knew he couldn’t answer truthfully. Yet Emperor Jiande also disdained saying false words to coax Li Yuniang—she wasn’t a young girl.
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Emperor Jiande stared at Li Yuniang and asked.
Li Yuniang had already arranged her clothing and re-pinned her hair. She put on her shoes, knelt on the ground, and said: “Your Majesty, you look at your subject’s wife like a scholar accustomed to famous flowers and exotic plants suddenly seeing a wildflower, finding it fresh and wanting to pick it for appreciation. But please consider, Your Majesty, wildflowers are special precisely because you rarely encounter them in daily life. Once you pluck the wildflower and examine it carefully, you’ll discover this wildflower isn’t particularly rare either. At most, it will seem novel for two or three days before you tire of it. Then, when you search your garden again, you’ll suddenly find only those common, famous flowers remain, and even the sole wildflower has lost its freshness, making the garden boring again. Wouldn’t you feel it would have been better never to touch that wildflower, just admiring it from afar and keeping a sense of novelty and curiosity in your heart forever?”
Emperor Jiande understood Li Yuniang’s meaning—she still didn’t want to submit to him and brought out such reasoning to try persuading him.
Admittedly, Li Yuniang’s words made some sense, but Emperor Jiande had his methods.
He chuckled: “The palace doesn’t have just one wildflower like you. I’ll pluck you first, and when I tire of you someday, I’ll pluck others.”
Li Yuniang replied with a laugh: “Your subject’s wife dares not compare beauty with the various ladies, but among the wildflowers in the palace, your subject’s wife dares claim none can match her. If Your Majesty insists on having your subject’s wife today, she can only comply, but fears she can only give Your Majesty a year or half a year of novelty. Over time, Your Majesty will find it difficult to locate another wildflower to arouse your interest.”
Emperor Jiande fell silent.
Li Yuniang spoke as if making casual conversation, her voice soft and gentle: “Your Majesty, your subject’s wife’s family was poor. When she was small, she could only eat a little meat during the New Year. Then your subject’s wife thought meat was the best thing under heaven, and when she had money, she would eat meat at every meal. Later, when your subject’s wife’s life improved and she could eat meat at every meal, she discovered this thing was just so-so when she could eat it at will. The expensive delicacies she had heard about became the new best food in her heart.”
“What you can’t get is always the best—this applies to food and people. Your subject’s wife once heard of a young Master Chen who was engaged to a Miss Wu in his youth. Later, when Master Chen’s family declined, Miss Wu’s parents broke the engagement and wouldn’t marry her to him. Master Chen couldn’t forget Miss Wu, thinking she was the only woman in the world worth his devotion, and his newly married wife was inferior to Miss Wu in every way. Later, by fate’s arrangement, Miss Wu’s husband’s family met with disaster, her natal family refused to take her in, and Miss Wu ended up on the streets. Master Chen brought her home as a concubine. Initially, Master Chen treated Miss Wu like a recovered precious pearl, having eyes for no one else. But after long intimacy, Master Chen discovered Miss Wu seemed no different from his wife. Within two years, Master Chen had taken a new favorite concubine.”
“Your Majesty, if you keep your subject’s wife without touching her, she will forever remain the freshest wildflower in your heart. Whenever you think of your subject’s wife, your heart will stir. But if you touch your subject’s wife, she will become just another ordinary woman in this harem. Then, when Your Majesty wants to find someone fresh, you’ll probably need to expend effort and create some gossip.”
Emperor Jiande had listened patiently throughout, and when Li Yuniang finished, he said with amusement: “So I keep you, but no matter how beautiful you are, if I can’t touch or feel you, what use is that?”
Li Yuniang replied calmly: “That depends on Your Majesty’s purpose—whether you want momentary novelty or lasting novelty.”
Emperor Jiande looked at Li Yuniang and suddenly snorted: “After all this talk, you just don’t want to serve me, don’t want to wrong Zhou Zhi.”
Li Yuniang said, “Your subject’s wife’s body belongs to herself. Even if she gave it to Your Majesty, how would that wrong anyone else? If he cannot accept it, he can simply write a divorce letter.”
Emperor Jiande was startled, then laughed: “So you refuse me not because you fear Zhou Zhi would be angry if he knew, but simply because you don’t want to serve me?”
Li Yuniang tacitly agreed.
Emperor Jiande suddenly became curious: “I am the Son of Heaven—what about me fails to catch your eye?”
Li Yuniang said, “You are too promiscuous. Your subject’s wife prefers someone devoted to her alone.”
Emperor Jiande neither agreed nor disagreed. Emperors were all promiscuous.
He said half-jokingly: “Promiscuity has its advantages. Perhaps someday you’ll take a fancy to me.”
Li Yuniang smiled: “If that day truly comes, without Your Majesty saying a word, your subject’s wife will divorce Zhou Zhi first, then seduce you.”
Emperor Jiande suddenly discovered that Li Yuniang was truly an extraordinary woman. Talking with Li Yuniang brought him no less pleasure than intimate relations in bed.
When leaving Yunhai Residence, Emperor Jiande’s face bore a smile.
Li Yuniang couldn’t smile. The imperial heart was unfathomable—while she could use this reasoning to change Emperor Jiande’s decision today, she might not succeed next time.
But besides responding each time as situations arose, Li Yuniang had no other methods.
As soon as the Seventh Prince returned, he learned of Emperor Jiande’s visit.
“You…”
Seeing Li Yuniang, the Seventh Prince, suddenly found it difficult to speak.
Li Yuniang smiled: “Your Highness, rest assured. I can manage for now. If someday your subject’s wife does something that damages Your Highness’s reputation, she will request to leave on her own.”
If Emperor Jiande truly insisted on sleeping with her, Li Yuniang would request to leave Yunhai Residence, never mixing with Emperor Jiande while serving as someone around the Seventh Prince.
The Seventh Prince only felt his heart heavy.
It was he and his mother who had implicated his wet nurse, yet she didn’t blame them and even thought to preserve his reputation.
The Seventh Prince didn’t know what to say.
But he trusted Li Yuniang.
From then on, no matter how many times Emperor Jiande came or how long he lingered at Yunhai Residence, as long as Li Yuniang could still serve before him as if nothing had happened, as long as Li Yuniang didn’t request to leave, the Seventh Prince never asked another question, not wanting to embarrass his wet nurse. Meanwhile, the Seventh Prince became even more diligent in his studies and martial training, making no effort to hide his desire for the crown prince position.
When the Seventh Prince was thirteen, Li Yuniang’s husband, Zhou Zhi, died of illness in a foreign land.
The Seventh Prince received the news before Li Yuniang.
He suddenly didn’t dare face Li Yuniang. His wet nurse cared for his daily needs so meticulously, yet her husband had died because of his father and mother.
But the Seventh Prince couldn’t escape. He didn’t want his wet nurse to learn this terrible news from others.
In the dim twilight, the Seventh Prince summoned Li Yuniang and told her.
Li Yuniang hadn’t seen her husband for two years. During these two years, Emperor Jiande had never demanded she share his bed, and Li Yuniang had thought that when the three-year transfer period ended, she might hope for her husband’s return. She never expected her husband would die of illness in a foreign land and never return.
Li Yuniang stood there in a daze. She should respond to His Highness, but she couldn’t speak. From their first meeting to marriage to struggling together in the capital—all those memories came flooding out. If not for tears sliding down her cheeks with their warm touch, Li Yuniang wouldn’t have known she was crying.
“I’m sorry. If not for me, you wouldn’t have had to endure all this.” The Seventh Prince couldn’t bear to watch. He knelt before Li Yuniang and said with self-reproach.
His parents had given birth to him, but the one who raised him was the wet nurse before him.
The Seventh Prince’s kneeling pulled Li Yuniang back from her memories. She hurriedly knelt to help the Seventh Prince up, crying while saying: “Your Highness mustn’t say such things. It’s A’Fu’s father who had a short life—what does it have to do with Your Highness? Your Highness, please get up quickly. Are you trying to shorten my lifespan?”
With all her strength, she forcibly helped the youth to his feet.
The Seventh Prince’s eyes reddened as he watched his wet nurse frantically wipe away tears. He wanted to comfort her, but was powerless.
Nothing he said would help. Nothing could restore his wet nurse’s family reunion.
Learning of Zhou Zhi’s death, Consort Zhuang rewarded Li Yuniang with some items, granted her half a year’s leave, and permitted Li Yuniang to bring her youngest daughter when she returned to the palace.
Li Yuniang left the palace and buried her deceased husband with her children.
Tears dried up in the night, but during the day, Li Yuniang methodically managed household affairs and educated her children.
Her eldest son was fourteen, her eldest daughter nine—both were very sensible. With loyal old stewards and wet nurses to care for them, they could look after each other even without her presence. Only little daughter A’Fu, just three years old, with her wet nurse having returned home, truly worried Li Yuniang.
Therefore, when re-entering the palace, Li Yuniang brought A’Fu with her.