After moving to the Eastern Palace, both the Crown Prince and Li Yuniang became busy—one had to participate in state affairs, the other had to manage all the palace maids of the entire Eastern Palace. Even little A’Fu was assigned a quite talented Palace Maid, Su, by the Crown Prince for her education.

Li Yuniang specifically instructed Palace Maid Su to teach A’Fu palace etiquette, especially regarding the Crown Prince. A’Fu needed to learn respect and could no longer treat the Crown Prince like a neighborhood older brother as before, bothering him whenever she pleased.

Six-year-old A’Fu was much more sensible than when she was younger. Under the dual influence of Li Yuniang and Palace Maid Su, A’Fu indeed stopped disturbing the Crown Prince.

After the Crown Prince had grown accustomed to Eastern Palace life and passed through the busy period of his initial appointment, one rainy day as he stood by the window, he suddenly thought of A’Fu.

He summoned Eunuch Kang: “What has A’Fu been doing lately?”

Eunuch Kang replied: “She’s been studying with Palace Maid Su constantly and hasn’t left Yiran Residence.”

The Eastern Palace had many courtyards. Since the Crown Prince hadn’t yet married, he specially allocated a small courtyard near the main one for Li Yuniang and A’Fu, bestowing the name Yiran Residence.

The Crown Prince had nothing pressing, so he took an umbrella and went to Yiran Residence with only Eunuch Kang.

A’Fu had just finished an hour of reading and could rest now. She stood beside a large water vat in a corner of the courtyard. The vat contained water lilies and two small red carp.

Liu’er held an umbrella for her nearby. Noticing the Crown Prince’s arrival, Liu’er quickly reminded A’Fu in a low voice.

A’Fu then turned around and bowed to the Crown Prince together with Liu’er.

The Crown Prince’s steps paused briefly. This was the first time he had seen A’Fu bow to him so formally. Her curtsy was perfectly executed, as if she had practiced it often, without a single flaw.

After the brief pause, the Crown Prince had Eunuch Kang stop while he came alone with his umbrella to the master and servant.

Though A’Fu knew to bow, she was too familiar with the Crown Prince to feign much respect. She smiled brilliantly at him, just like looking at her brother.

The Crown Prince’s mood improved again.

He approached A’Fu and moved his umbrella over to cover her.

Liu’er tactfully withdrew to stand with Eunuch Kang.

“Is A’Fu watching the fish?” The Crown Prince faced the large water vat.

A’Fu turned around and nodded.

Fine raindrops continuously pelted the water surface. The two small red carp seemed startled, swimming back and forth constantly, chasing each other. Sometimes they dove under the broad leaves of the water lilies, sometimes they swam back out.

The Crown Prince watched silently for a moment, then focused on A’Fu’s face: “If A’Fu likes them, I’ll have people catch a few more red carp to put in.”

A’Fu didn’t answer immediately, but first asked him a question: “Does Your Highness know where these little red carp originally lived?”

The Crown Prince didn’t know, but carp were fish after all—their habitats were limited to certain places.

“Probably ponds, lakes, and such water areas,” the Crown Prince answered.

A’Fu looked at the small red carp in the water and murmured as if to herself: “I’ve never seen ponds or lakes. Are they very big?”

The Crown Prince nodded: “There’s a lake in the Western Garden. If A’Fu wants to see it, I can take you there.”

A’Fu showed longing but shook her head: “No, Mother said I’m not allowed to run around.”

The Crown Prince well understood his wet nurse’s caution and didn’t insist. He wanted to be good to his wet nurse and A’Fu, but he also had to consider what they truly needed. Forcing a gift upon them that would make them anxious and uneasy would defeat the purpose.

The Crown Prince suggested again sending A’Fu a few more small red carp.

A’Fu shook her head: “This water vat is so small. Being locked up in here every day, they must be suffocating to death. Your Highness should release them instead.”

Though A’Fu enjoyed watching these small red carp, she also felt sorry for them.

As they spoke, one small red carp swam to the edge of the vat. Its delicate fin touched the hard wall and immediately recoiled, flicking its tail and swimming away.

The Crown Prince silently watched that red carp, first thinking that his wet nurse and A’Fu were like the small red carp confined by his father and mother to his side, then realizing that he was no different.

The palace walls were layer upon layer, thick and heavy, trapping so many people.

In the autumn of the Crown Prince’s eighteenth year, Emperor Jiande died of illness, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, taking the reign name Emperor Yuanjia.

When he had first been appointed Crown Prince, he was already spinning with busyness. Now with the great affairs of family and state all on his shoulders, Emperor Yuanjia was even busier, working day and night.

The former Consort Zhuang was elevated to Empress Dowager.

Using the Empress Dowager’s authority, she dealt with a group of the late emperor’s consorts. When she had some leisure, the Empress Dowager suddenly thought of Li Yuniang.

On this day when Emperor Yuanjia came to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, she mentioned that two Dowager Consorts had committed suicide to follow the late emperor in death, then brought up Li Yuniang: “When the late emperor was alive, his favor toward Lady Li was no less than toward some consorts, yet Lady Li showed no appreciation. Now that the late emperor is gone, she eats and drinks well, showing no sign of grief.”

Emperor Yuanjia looked at his mother, now the Empress Dowager.

Still, during the imperial mourning period, the Empress Dowager’s makeup was simple yet retained her dignity. Her eyes and brows showed all the pride of being elevated to Empress Dowager—where was any sign of grief?

Emperor Yuanjia could only respond with silence.

Seeing that he wouldn’t take up the conversation, the Empress Dowager quickly changed topics.

After Emperor Yuanjia finished a day of state affairs, he had a brief moment of leisure in the evening and went to the Eastern Palace.

Having been so busy, he hadn’t thought of his wet nurse and her daughter, who still lived in the Eastern Palace.

Li Yuniang had long wanted to see Emperor Yuanjia, but knowing how busy a new emperor’s ascension was, she didn’t dare disturb him and waited patiently for the new emperor to remember her.

The Eastern Palace was very quiet. Eunuch Kang and others had all followed the emperor when he left. Li Yuniang and A’Fu lived properly in Yiran Residence.

When Emperor Yuanjia suddenly arrived, Li Yuniang was stunned, then quickly brought A’Fu to receive him.

Mother and daughter knelt on the ground and performed full prostrations.

Emperor Yuanjia flexed his fingers and smiled as he excused them from the ceremony.

The three entered the main hall.

Emperor Yuanjia was eighteen now. Even before becoming Crown Prince, he had stopped confiding his troubles to Li Yuniang, and Li Yuniang no longer dared treat him as a child. Now that Emperor Yuanjia had become emperor, though young, he carried the full imperial dignity. Li Yuniang nervously lowered her head, not daring to look directly at him.

A’Fu secretly glanced at him a few times.

Emperor Yuanjia didn’t know what to say to his wet nurse either. Seeing A’Fu stealing looks at him, Emperor Yuanjia smiled: “A’Fu, when I was the Seventh Prince, I allowed you to move freely through Yunhai Residence. When I was Crown Prince, I allowed you to move freely through the Eastern Palace. Now that I am Emperor, I allow you to move freely throughout the Great Qi realm, including the imperial palace. Are you happy?”

A’Fu was naturally happy.

Li Yuniang slightly raised her head, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Emperor Yuanjia immediately said, “If the wet nurse has something to say, speak freely.”

Li Yuniang knelt and looked honestly at the young emperor: “Your Majesty, when you were young, your daily needs required your subject’s wife’s service. Now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, you have talented people around you, especially Eunuch Kang, who gives your subject’s wife great peace of mind. Your subject’s wife has been in the palace for nearly twenty years. Now with advancing age, she increasingly misses her children at home and humbly requests Your Majesty’s permission to leave the palace and return home to enjoy family happiness.”

Seeing her mother kneel, A’Fu also knelt.

Looking at the two people before him—the two who had been with him day and night—Emperor Yuanjia’s first thought was to refuse.

But he thought of this morning’s Empress Dowager’s sarcasm about his wet nurse, and of the small red carp in the large water vat.

With the Empress Dowager’s vindictive nature, keeping his wet nurse would harm her.

A’Fu yearned for freedom—the capital was so vast, why confine her to this small imperial palace?

Emperor Yuanjia smiled and granted the request.

The next morning, while Emperor Yuanjia presided over the morning court, Li Yuniang left the palace with A’Fu.

Emperor Yuanjia seemed to forget this mother and daughter, until half a year later, when he bestowed upon Li Yuniang the leisure manor the Ministry of Internal Affairs had built for him near Cloud Mist Mountain, enfeoffing her as Shou’an Jun. Additionally, Emperor Yuanjia rewarded Shou’an Jun with ten thousand taels of silver, a thousand mu of fertile land, and various palace servants, including Liu’er and Eunuch Li, whom Shou’an Jun was accustomed to.

Li Yuniang knelt on the ground to receive the imperial edict, tears streaming down her face.

Shou’an Jun moved to the leisure manor with her son and two daughters. Her children might still visit the capital for lantern festivals and temple fairs, but Shou’an Jun never again set foot in the capital. When she was first enfeoffed as Shou’an Jun, some official families still tried to associate with her. Shou’an Jun was polite, but as rumors about Shou’an Jun and the late emperor grew in the capital, no more capital officials paid attention to Shou’an Jun, which she didn’t mind much.

When Emperor Yuanjia married, Shou’an Jun prepared a table of fine dishes at the leisure manor, celebrating for Emperor Yuanjia.

Her children also gradually reached marriageable age.

Shou’an Jun found a wife for her eldest son—Wang Shi, daughter of a modest family, beautiful and innocent with some harmless minor faults. Having experienced palace life, Shou’an Jun found Wang Shi’s small calculations rather endearing.

Shou’an Jun also found a handsome scholar for her eldest daughter, but unfortunately, despite many meetings, she failed to see that her son-in-law was a hypocritical beast who would become violent when drunk. For the first few years, he hid it well, being gentle and considerate to her eldest daughter. Later, as their marriage lasted longer, this beast raised his fists against her eldest daughter.

Shou’an Jun brought her imperially-granted guards to demand a divorce document, severing all ties with her former son-in-law.

Emperor Yuanjia seemed to know nothing of this, but not long after, Shou’an Jun’s former son-in-law was found at fault by his superiors and demoted.

The following spring, when flowers bloomed, Emperor Yuanjia, having sat too long in the palace, decided to leave incognito.

He didn’t inform the Empress Dowager, taking two imperial guards and appointing two heirs of the Upper Four Armies to accompany him out of the capital.

The two heirs Emperor Yuanjia appointed were Qi Ping, heir of Marquis Pingxi, and Lu Mu, heir of Duke Ying.

All three had excellent appearances. Emperor Yuanjia was dignified and noble, with undeniable imperial majesty. Qi Ping had thick eyebrows and tiger-like eyes with a general’s bearing. Lu Mu, by contrast, was gentle and handsome, easily mistaken for a civil official.

Leaving the capital, Emperor Yuanjia took the lead, heading directly toward Cloud Mist Mountain.

The leisure manor was built on the necessary route to Cloud Mist Mountain.

Emperor Yuanjia hadn’t seen Shou’an Jun for several years—not because he didn’t want to, but because court affairs were too busy and the Empress Dowager was narrow-minded. Emperor Yuanjia didn’t want to cause trouble for Shou’an Jun. But last year, Da Zhou Shi’s divorce caused an uproar in the capital, and Emperor Yuanjia had been constantly worried about Shou’an Jun, wondering if his wet nurse had been depressed over this matter.

“To the leisure manor.” Emperor Yuanjia led the way onto the small path to the manor.

Shou’an Jun had just dismissed a matchmaker.

Her eldest daughter had indeed been married once and was even slandered as unable to bear children, but she would rather support her daughter for life than carelessly marry her to some worthless man. Some people coveted this leisure manor and her thousand mu of imperially-granted fertile land, yet came proposing marriage with a tone of charity, simply asking to be scolded!

Wet Nurse Liu was even angrier than her, with the Young Miss’s beauty; those vulgar people were also worthy!

The master and servant were still muttering about this when Eunuch Li hurriedly sent word that the Emperor had arrived!

Shou’an Jun immediately forgot about that unsuitable suitor and ran to receive the imperial presence.

She was surprised, delighted, and worried about being improper. Upon seeing Emperor Yuanjia, she dropped to her knees with a thud. Emperor Yuanjia quickly stepped forward to stop Shou’an Jun. After helping her up, Emperor Yuanjia carefully examined her, seeing her rosy complexion and that she didn’t look aged, only somewhat plumper than in the palace. Emperor Yuanjia couldn’t help but laugh: “Wet nurse is comfortable and well-fed, making me worry for nothing.”

Shou’an Jun’s old face reddened. With a good life and fewer worries, how could she not put on weight?

This teasing broke through the years of separation, and the relationship between them seemed to return to the past.

Emperor Yuanjia introduced Lu Mu and Qi Ping to Shou’an Jun.

Seeing these two men’s bearing, Shou’an Jun was very gratified. With such excellent ministers assisting him, Emperor Yuanjia’s reign would be easier.

Everyone moved to the main hall.

Lu Mu and Qi Ping were purely guests—mainly Emperor Yuanjia and Shou’an Jun talked.

Emperor Yuanjia asked about Da Zhou Shi’s divorce.

Shou’an Jun was much more easygoing than in the palace, and with age came frankness. She thoroughly cursed her former son-in-law without a single vulgar word, yet with utmost insulting ability. Her eloquence had always been good—in the past, she could praise Emperor Yuanjia extravagantly even when speaking blindly.

Emperor Yuanjia wanted to laugh at his wet nurse’s eloquence while being angry about that man’s violence toward Da Zhou Shi.

“Old Madam, don’t be angry. That scoundrel—when I see him, I’ll beat him up.” Qi Ping said indignantly.

Shou’an Jun laughed: “No need, no need. Since we’re divorced, there’s no relationship. Why let him dirty Young Master’s fists?”

After sitting for a while, Emperor Yuanjia thought of A’Fu. In a blink, he hadn’t seen A’Fu for six years and wondered what she had grown into.

Emperor Yuanjia still remembered A’Fu as a child.

He had once had an older brother. After his brother’s death, Emperor Yuanjia couldn’t see the other princes as brothers until A’Fu appeared. Emperor Yuanjia seemed to have a little sister again—a completely trustworthy sister. He would be good to A’Fu, and A’Fu would care about him. Neither had to worry about the other harming them.

But this year A’Fu was fourteen, wasn’t she? With the girls grown up, it wasn’t appropriate for him to rashly suggest seeing her.

Shou’an Jun herself brought up her three children: “Da Lang is working in the Ministry of Works. The A’Fu sisters went to play in the mountains. Those two children seem like they were born into the wrong bodies—one more unlike a girl than the other.”

Shou’an Jun’s tone was quite helpless.

Emperor Yuanjia didn’t believe it. The A’Fu in his memory was very well-behaved and adorable.

After drinking a bowl of tea, Emperor Yuanjia announced his departure.

Shou’an Jun escorted them out of the leisure manor.

Emperor Yuanjia mounted his horse and rode far away. Feeling something, he looked back and saw Shou’an Jun still standing at the gate, like a mother seeing off her child, eagerly watching in his direction.

Emperor Yuanjia’s gaze warmed.

Time would change many things, but some people and some matters never changed, no matter how much time passed.