Fighting with one’s back to the wall to survive – this was probably his last trump card. Wanwan understood in her heart that both sides had reached the end of their rope, and when forced into a corner, someone had to take the first step.

She had known these inside details long ago, just hadn’t spoken openly about them. Therefore, even when he laid everything bare, she felt no surprise. Instead, she admired his courage. After all, a princess who married down wasn’t entirely without options – it seemed he was determined that short-term pain was better than prolonged suffering.

“When Your Highness speaks these words, have you considered the consequences? Aren’t you afraid I’ll petition the court requesting divorce?”

His eyes trembled, and he finally nodded slowly. “I’ve thought about it. Given Your Highness’s temperament, it’s quite possible. But please consider carefully – marriage is no trifling matter. The Grand Princess’s marriage had hundreds of boats as escort, and from ruler and ministers above to common people below, how many watched eagerly. In small matters, Your Highness’s reputation is important. In large matters, Nanyuan is an enfeoffed territory. If the Grand Princess marries down then divorces, in the mouths of those with ulterior motives, it becomes a weapon of innuendo. Right now everyone in Daye lives in fear. Your Highness should have seen many refugees along the way, right? It’s just that they become sparser the further south, because I’ve blocked them all west of Anqing Prefecture.”

Wanwan was greatly surprised. “Does Your Highness want to seek peace in one corner, separating Nanyuan from Daye? Please don’t forget, whether Nanyuan is prosperous or impoverished, it’s all Daye territory. The court is still allocating funds for disaster relief, yet Nanyuan refuses refugees beyond its jurisdiction. What exactly are Your Highness’s intentions?”

He stared at her intently, slowly lifting one corner of his mouth. “Do you know where these refugees come from, Your Highness? The north suffers famine, and the seven feudal princes spread word everywhere saying Jinling is prosperous and good for supporting people. They constantly drive refugees who flow into their territories toward Nanyuan’s borders. Even if Nanyuan were made of iron, how many nails could it hold? These years I’ve emptied my treasury and granaries. Your Highness, dwelling far in the capital region, probably had no way to know. Now I’m left with just an empty shell. If Your Highness blames me, I can hardly argue. Blocking people west of Anqing Prefecture is truly unavoidable. Qianshan is Prince Chu’s territory – I only have the Huaining line where I can still settle refugees, letting them have clothes against the cold and porridge to fill their stomachs. I’ve already exerted my greatest effort. You married down to Nanyuan – I can’t let you be heartbroken, can’t let you see corpses littering the fields. I’m also human and must consider my family. Is there anything wrong with that? Nanyuan is a tall tree that attracts wind – people wanting to suppress me are countless as cow’s hair. Since Your Highness married down to me, why don’t you consider my position and also look at my difficulties?”

Wanwan was rendered speechless by his words. When he talked about romance it was rather tiresome, but discussing politics he was articulate and logical. She began reflecting – was she being too selfish, never putting herself in his position to consider things from his perspective? After all, Daye had eight feudal princes, yet the Emperor and court focused solely on him, making him overwhelmed. Was the reason simply because Nanyuan was wealthy?

Being wealthy was a crime, so it must be suppressed. When people couldn’t make a living, the first thought was of this – how was it different from fearing generals whose achievements overshadowed their master?

She sighed deeply. “Actually, I knew about the marriage arrangement long ago and originally didn’t want to discuss it. Since Your Highness speaks openly and honestly, this knot should be untied. I indeed had some criticism of Your Highness because of this, and I thought that if there hadn’t been Yin Ge, I probably would have been willing to marry you… It’s just that later you gilded the lily, making me feel coerced, which truly made me uncomfortable…”

Hearing that phrase “without Yin Ge I would also have been willing to marry you,” his spirits immediately lifted. So it wasn’t his one-sided wishful thinking – her attitude at Tanzhe Temple was an expression of her true will. Although she had wavered due to the late Emperor, she had indeed been moved by him.

He grasped her shoulders firmly. “Tell me – you’re not completely without feelings for me, right?”

Wanwan realized she had spoken carelessly and flushed bright red. How could she admit such words? Only a fool would admit it! She averted her gaze. “Those refugees – what does Your Highness plan to do with them?”

Worry clouded his face again. “Do what I can. The court isn’t well-off now either. I submitted a memorial three months ago with no response – they probably want me to handle it myself.”

After hearing this, Wanwan murmured, “What can be done… How many refugees are there in total?”

He said fifty thousand. “With more continuously flowing in. When I was in the capital during last year’s winter solstice, I paid attention – though there were some on the streets, they didn’t amount to even one-tenth of Nanyuan’s numbers. So the capital probably thinks I’m crying wolf – after all, the capital city remains safe and sound.”

He wore a bitter smile, looking helpless. Fifty thousand mouths – such massive consumption was indeed overwhelming.

“I’ll petition His Majesty as soon as I return – this can’t continue.” While people couldn’t fill their stomachs, he still had the heart to build some Star-Plucking Tower. Wanwan felt real pressure for the first time, almost strangling her neck. Thinking of her dowry, she quickly added, “See what I can help with – I still have some money there. I’ll have people organize it later and send it all here.”

He smiled, his eyes rippling like water. “I know Your Highness loves the people, but for a man to be unable to handle matters and instead calculate his wife’s dowry – if word got out, wouldn’t that invite ridicule? Don’t worry, I can still manage for a while. There’s surplus grain from last autumn’s harvest. If worst comes to worst, I can sell the annual output of the textile bureau’s 120 looms in advance, converting to silver and grain. We can hold on until this year’s harvest and catch our breath.”

A penny can drive a hero to death. She felt bewildered, looking at him with dim eyes. “How did it come to this… I always thought that with famines everywhere, at most we’d just need to economize on food and clothing.”

He smiled. “You were raised in the deep palace, separated by such high walls – naturally you don’t know what it’s like outside. Telling you today was wrong of me – having one more person worry about it actually doesn’t help.”

She shook her head. “You can’t say that. I’ve been too comfortable, mistakenly thinking people could at least live peacefully. I never imagined…”

Never imagined that while Daye’s center was a riot of flowers, the body was already riddled with holes. This reality was somewhat cruel for the pampered Grand Princess, but without letting her understand, she would forever dream of favorable weather and good harvests under Murong rule, thinking people’s hearts still turned toward them. In the future, any unusual moves from him would be seen as immoral, as rebellious treachery.

However, everything had to proceed step by step. Letting her know things one by one in the future would make them emotionally easier to accept. He comforted her gently, “Right now it’s a hurdle. As long as His Majesty governs diligently and comes up with countermeasures early, once we get through this period, things will gradually improve.”

Wanwan knew her brother’s problems – diligent governance? How could he be diligent!

“When you go to Huaining, take me along.” She said dejectedly, “Even if going is useless, seeing it with my own eyes will give me some understanding.”

He pondered for a moment, then nodded agreement. “But with so many people, if it gets hot there might be epidemic. I’d be worried having you go.”

She quickly grasped his sleeve. “I’ll follow you and won’t run around.”

Her expression was sincere, full of expectation. He thought with some regret – perhaps this was how Xiao Duo had been relied upon by her!

Wind blew over, temple hair brushing against her face, mournful and tender eyes, cheeks like frost and snow. He raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, treating her as precious as treasure, protecting her like a child. What more was there to say? Naturally he agreed: “We’ll go after the birthday banquet. I was just worrying about leaving you behind, unable to spare time to accompany you. If you’re not afraid of the journey, I’ll take you along. But we must agree first – when we get there, follow my lead. You can’t quarrel with me or contradict me. Can you do that?”

She said she could. “Then I’ll send orders immediately to have them prepare steamed buns for me. We’ll take carts to Huaining – even if we can’t help everyone, at least we can feed the children first.”

He laughed after hearing this. “You can only travel by palanquin – it’s at least four or five days from Nanjing. With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, the steamed buns would be spoiled by the time they got there.” Seeing her disappointment, he added, “I’ve set up several porridge factories that can still manage for now. When you said you wanted to go look, I’ll only let you look – you absolutely cannot get involved personally. Those refugees may be pitiful, but they’re ultimately unclean. If you get too close and lice get on you, that wouldn’t be good.”

The princess who knew no hardship looked very surprised hearing about lice, probably finding it incredible that people could be infested with lice. Actually, among all walks of life, for those of brilliant birth like them, there was no wealth they couldn’t imagine, only suffering they couldn’t conceive of. Taking her to see the decaying state wouldn’t be a bad thing.

To be able to travel together, Wanwan naturally agreed to everything. This afternoon’s interaction was very harmonious, and she saw a completely different side of him from her second brother and Chang Chen – worrying about country and people, even exhausting himself with worry.

When Tonghuan came to escort her back, she felt unprecedented tranquility in her heart. She had always worried he harbored rebellious intentions – her second brother couldn’t suppress her, and she had married him as wife, leaving her caught in the middle in a difficult position. Now it seemed she had worried unnecessarily. The first thing someone plotting for the world needed to do was conserve strength and store up energy. After all, rebellion required capital. Scattering thousands of gold for refugees – which of those old, weak, women and children could don armor and fight for him, could campaign in all directions for him?

Tonghuan hadn’t seen her so calm and composed for a long time. This afternoon must have gone quite well. Watching her expression, she asked, “Does Your Highness have a changed view of Prince Yuwen?”

She smiled with pursed lips. “This person has schemes, but isn’t utterly evil. He admitted to the Yin Ge affair. I thought he would keep hiding it forever, but now I’m at a loss. Since he’s admitted his mistake, if I keep holding on and not letting go, it seems unreasonable.”

The meaning was obvious – she was gradually beginning to accept him. When men humbled themselves and acted submissively, it truly was a good method for coaxing people.

Tonghuan nodded. “This is good too. As I often tell Your Highness, you’ve married after all. For better or worse, you’re one family. Being too calculating in daily life makes it more miserable as time goes on.”

She entered Longen Tower, and Xiao You brought water for her to wash her hands. She glanced at her. “I told you to find the young master – where did you go off to enjoy yourself?”

Xiao You giggled. “Heaven and earth as my witness, if I had stood right in your sight, His Highness would have surely made mincemeat of me! I watched you two flying the kite, crouched to the side and sat for a while. His Highness was really intimate with you, even like this…” She opened her arms to embrace her. “Holding you!”

Wanwan blushed and stamped her foot. “Stop talking nonsense! Which eye saw that!”

“Both eyes saw it! I couldn’t be mistaken. When the spaniel from Chengan Palace went missing, in the pitch black night, I found it without even carrying a lantern. You say these two eyes of mine can see half a li away. That thing of yours… hehe!”

Tonghuan watched them play around with a smile. Since marrying down, the Grand Princess had never been happy, but now seeing her so cheerful, even if Prince Nanyuan was a bit domineering, they servants felt it was worth it.

After she finished washing, they invited her to sit by the south window and served her a cup of almond tea. Tonghuan said, “Yu Chengfeng has been investigating news from the capital. They say Empress Bu has gone completely mad, and the Empress Dowager decided to confine her to the corner tower.”

She was stunned. “With so many places in the palace, isn’t there even a courtyard to house her? An empress confined to a corner tower – which dynasty ever had such a thing! The Empress Dowager’s handling lacks consideration, and His Majesty is the same. Poor Yin Luo.”

Xiao You sighed after hearing this. “If you were there, you could still say a few words. Now so far away, everyone must seek their own good fortune.”

She truly had no way to help. Not to mention being in Nanjing – even in the capital, what she said might not be heard by anyone willing to listen. After sighing for a while with no solution, she said, “I heard Anqing Prefecture is plagued with refugees. After His Highness’s birthday, he’s going there, and I’m going along too. When the time comes, I’ll observe local conditions and include a few words pleading for her in my memorial to His Majesty. I hope Second Brother will consider past affection and show mercy. Even if she’s truly beyond help, find her a place with two attendants to care for her properly.”

The Empress’s matter was secondary. Hearing she wanted to go to Anqing Prefecture, they were immediately shocked. “You’re of noble birth – what are you going to that filthy place for?” Xiao You said, “You haven’t seen what refugees look like – ragged all over, a head of yellow hair, like beggars on the street. When they see someone dressed decently, they pounce over wailing, ‘Master, you’re wealthy, spare some food, I’m starving to death’… If you don’t give, they dare to rob. A whole group swarms from all directions, breaking arms and legs, not caring at all. The law can’t punish the masses – do you understand?”

Wanwan frowned deeply. “You’ve seen refugees?”

Xiao You nodded. “I have. I was one before entering the palace. Later a family took me in. We must know gratitude – when the palace selected palace maids, I entered the palace in place of their daughter. Falling anywhere is the same anyway, as long as there’s food.”

Xiao You rarely mentioned her pitiful background. This was the first time Wanwan heard it, which strengthened her determination to go see for herself – not to gawk at exotic sights, but to verify whether what Yuwen Liangshi said was true.

The next day the prince’s mansion held the birthday celebration. Wanwan was carried from Longen Tower into Silver Peace Hall.

The Qi people’s customs were nothing but kowtowing – first the birthday celebrant kowtowed at the family temple, then servants kowtowed to their master. Even a seventh-rank official at the prime minister’s gate – the Yuwen clan’s followers were truly formidable. The Qi people had a type of hereditary household servant called baoyi, passed down generation after generation – fathers served old masters, sons served young masters. These household servants’ status differed from ordinary bannermen, belonging to the master’s most trusted group. With just one command from the master, even dying immediately before them, they absolutely wouldn’t blink an eye. So they were especially valued and their official careers absolutely smooth.

Kowtowing, endless kowtowing – waves of people came and went. Wanwan and he sat above like two bodhisattvas. Flanking them were Qi eunuchs in tasseled caps, official boots, and long robes with gauze jackets. She and he wore the most solemn auspicious robes, wrapped in layers upon layers, hot to the point of dizziness.

Entering people would greet them both, then thump down kneeling, loudly declaring: “Kowtowing to Master and Mistress.” Then followed long strings of birthday wishes, racking their brains, each one different. In Qi understanding, “Master” and “Mistress” were official titles for master-servant meetings. Regardless of this mistress’s background, having married their “Master,” she was “Mistress.” Of course, this mistress was completely different from the one used to address mothers – here it meant female household head, just as “Princess Consort” was formal official language while “Mistress” was casual, intimate terminology conveying warmth.

At their master’s birthday banquet, servants didn’t consider themselves outsiders – this differed from Han or Xianbei people. So the Qi people were united even more tightly, also showing Wanwan what an iron-blooded group this was, truly one that would affect the whole body if you pulled one hair.

She turned her head to glance at him. He sat right beside her with solemn expression. Fine sweat condensed under his ceremonial crown, meandering and flowing, sliding into his snow-white crossed collar. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple clearly moving. Wanwan inexplicably blushed.

He felt very guilty about involving her in the heat, smiling apologetically at her. Wanwan slightly pouted her lips and raised her eyebrows in response. Soon after, she noticed rustling under her wide sleeves – a hand reached over, grasping hers through the brocade trim. Her heart leaped. Wanting to break free but afraid of being discovered, she could only let him hold her hand.

Brothers Lan Zhou and Lan Ting came forward, solidly bowing and kowtowing, wishing Father and Mother would have this day every year, this morning every year. The clan women laughed: “These two young masters are so sensible. Look at their appearance and bearing – they actually look like Her Highness the Grand Princess’s own children.”

Wanwan smiled somewhat awkwardly. She was eight years older than Lan Zhou and nine years older than Lan Ting. She didn’t know what kind of eyes those ladies had to see that these two children looked like her own.

But Lan Zhou was extremely clever. After rising, he spontaneously stood beside her, slightly bowing as he said: “In this son’s heart, Mother is truly my birth mother. When I come of age in the future, I’ll be filial to Mother. When there’s a little brother, I’ll be his vanguard. These words are sincere – I ask the elders present to witness. I also ask Mother to treat me as your own. If I make mistakes, please guide me so I can improve and become an upright, worthy man in the future.”