Actually, she still harbored faint hope in her heart – perhaps Second Brother truly hadn’t received Liangshi’s memorial and didn’t know about her pregnancy. If she waited two more days, what if he really issued new orders for her to rest quietly? Wanwan waited fearfully and hopefully, but three days passed with still no news.

Yan Sunlang came to pay his respects, bowing as he said: “If Your Highness refuses to depart, my inability to report to the court is secondary – delaying too long will ultimately implicate the Prince. Please reconsider, Your Highness.”

Wanwan felt she’d almost abandoned her dignity, covering her stomach and claiming discomfort: “Setting out now might truly cost my life…”

Yan Sunlang was helpless. Though he wasn’t as close to the Grand Princess as Xiao Duo, he’d still watched her grow up. Usually the Grand Princess was so proud and self-respecting – seeing her like this was truly pitiful.

“Then tomorrow – tomorrow is the final deadline. If we pass it, a charge of deceiving the sovereign will fall…” He glanced upward. The Grand Princess’s face was deathly pale. Unable to finish his words, he bowed and quietly withdrew.

In the end she still had to leave. Wanwan emerged from Longen Tower – Yan Sunlang had waited an extra day and profited handsomely.

The whole family saw her off at the gate. The Dowager Consort’s face was full of worry as she held her hand: “No matter what, taking care of yourself is most important. Be careful about food – if anything seems wrong, as long as it’s good, try to eat more. The child is growing now – if mother’s stomach lacks nourishment, he’ll be the one to suffer.” After speaking she paused, gazing at her with infinite attachment: “Good child, I truly don’t want you to leave. Our family is so harmonious, and now things have become…”

Everything that should be said was said. Wanwan controlled herself with all her might, only saying: “Mother, don’t be sad. I’ll return soon.”

The brothers Lan Zhou and Lan Ting surrounded her, softly calling “Mother.” She smiled and stroked their heads, then turned to board the palanquin.

Liangshi escorted her to Taoye Ferry. The two sat quietly facing each other, looking at one another wordlessly. After a long while she reached her hand over, her soft palm covering the back of his hand and gripping firmly: “We agreed to be happy. How can you look like this and make me feel bad?”

Only then did he force a smile: “I’m calculating timing, seeing which day would be suitable to depart.” He calculated carefully: “It’s over two thousand li from Nanjing to Beijing. By waterway without stopping day or night takes fifteen days. If I take the land route to the capital, three days at most – rushing harder, two and a half days… Then I’ll set out on the twelfth of August, arriving in the capital just in time for the fifteenth. I remember last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival – we spent it together. This time will be the same.” His nose stung and he dared not let her see, lowering his head to press her hand to his lips.

Wanwan remembered – that time when someone molested her, he rescued her, and she already had some feelings for him then. This year she’d thought things could go smoothly, yet they’d ended up like the Weaver Girl and Cowherd.

She swallowed her tears and smiled in agreement: “I’ll set a banquet under the moon, waiting for you to come.”

He was also afraid – afraid she’d be like a meteor, briefly crossing his sky without leaving any trace. So he rolled up his sleeves and extended his arm before her.

Wanwan looked at him in confusion: “What’s wrong?”

He said: “Bite me once, bite hard, like making a mark on my body so I can never escape for life.”

She laughed at his foolishness: “That would hurt so much…”

But he insisted: “It only counts if you draw blood.”

She couldn’t laugh anymore. This matter now truly had the passion and shock of a blood oath. Looking down at that arm that had embraced her so many times, familiar as her own. She couldn’t bring herself to bite – what if she hurt him badly! He pushed it forward urgently, and she struggled for a long time. Knowing his stubborn temperament, she had no choice but to steady her breathing, grasp the arm, and bite down hard.

The flesh made crunching sounds of tearing. She tasted something like rust and was startled. Quickly looking up at him, he hadn’t even frowned, admiring the circle of delicate tooth marks with satisfaction on his face.

Wanwan pulled out her handkerchief to bandage him, then rolled up her sleeve and extended her own arm: “You bite me too, so I can take it back to Beijing.”

He caressed that pale, slender jade arm for a long time: “If I bite down, half the arm would break.”

She showed no fear: “I’m not afraid – bite.”

He indeed brought his mouth close, his teeth making a pretense of light nibbling twice, but in the end only kissed it fiercely: “Can’t bite my son’s mother badly.”

Wanwan threw herself forward, hugging him tightly and softly calling his name. He’d been pretending for so long, but this action made his defenses collapse. She was just pregnant and needed him most now, yet he couldn’t stay by her side. Without reaching the summit, one’s body wasn’t one’s own – he couldn’t even keep the woman he loved.

The light in the carriage was dim. Finding her lips, the kiss carried bitterness. She hung around his neck – often like a little girl, her movements inexperienced yet stubbornly doing adult things. Having kissed so many times, she’d always been passive, but this time suddenly took the initiative with apocalyptic carnival-like strangeness. He cupped her face, murmuring: “Don’t do this…” only to discover she was already crying rivers.

Such hatred – he wanted to cut Murong Gaogong into a thousand pieces, yet had to endure. He rolled up his sleeves to wipe her tears, gently comforting: “It’s alright, it’s alright… just one month, it’ll pass quickly.”

She sobbed and straightened up, gripping his hand: “Liangshi, you must set out on the twelfth of August.”

She finally boarded the treasure ship. The ship’s railings were so high that once on deck, the ground could no longer be seen. Wind filled the sails as it slowly left port. She stood on deck, staring emptily at the sky. For a moment she couldn’t distinguish the firmament’s color – not blue, but like the bronze door knockers on courtyard gates, worn by long grinding.

This was her second time on a ship. The first was six months ago for her marriage, when she was filled with despair and ready to die. This return voyage, having come full circle back to the starting point, was even more torturous than the journey there. Coming she hadn’t been seasick, eating and sleeping normally with some comfort. This time was different – whether from morning sickness, she constantly wanted to vomit, becoming afraid at the sight of basins. Tonghuan and the others kept urging her to eat more, saying eating was eating and vomiting was vomiting – if there was nothing in her stomach, she’d only vomit bile. How could the young master manage then? So for the child’s sake she had to eat. Though her throat burned with pain, she still swallowed in big gulps. When mothers become strong – this was probably what it meant.

When her feet touched ground again, she’d lost much weight, her eyes sunken. Even the Emperor was shocked upon seeing her: “How did you become like this?”

She showed no smile, kneeling properly to pay respects: “Your subject sister received the edict to return to the capital for audience. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live.”

The Emperor could sense the alienation in her voice. His hand reaching to help her stiffened slightly but still extended.

“Wanwan, we’re blood relatives – don’t be so formal with your brother.” He helped her up, examining her carefully. These features were still as in his memory, only her spirits were poor, somewhat listless. He supported her to sit, standing beside her and half-bowing: “You’ve been in Nanyuan so long – I worried about you daily, fearing Yuwen Liangshi treated you poorly. Seeing you today confirms it – how did you become so thin? That Yuwen scoundrel failed in serving his master!”

The Emperor wore meditation robes with bare feet, having just emerged from the elixir-refining chamber. His eyelids were reddened from smoke, looking quite mystical and distracted. Wanwan stood up helplessly: “Second Brother, I’m pregnant. The journey’s hardships plus severe seasickness naturally caused weight loss – it has nothing to do with that Yuwen scoundrel.”

The Emperor felt embarrassed by her words. After all, he was guilty too. He’d originally wanted to make an issue of this but unexpectedly it circled back to himself, creating an indescribable awkward feeling.

His feet slapped as he turned two circles on the wooden floor: “Oh, oh, I remember now – indeed received a memorial saying you were with child.” Immediately his expression became joyful as he laughed heartily: “Father and Mother in heaven, learning this news, must be very happy. Even Wanwan has children now – our generation has finally all grown up, branching and spreading leaves to glorify our Great Ye in future!” He clapped again: “When the time is right, we’ll go to Fengxian Hall to worship our parents and tell them this good news. I’ll also hold a grand banquet, inviting civil and military officials to welcome your homecoming.”

Wanwan’s face clouded with melancholy. A grand banquet for officials, yet specifically not allowing Liangshi to enter the capital – his intention to separate the couple was already set in stone.

She took a deep breath: “Brother, I’m extremely exhausted and can’t endure a grand banquet. I’ll go see the Empress Dowager later – haven’t seen her in some time.”

The Emperor was startled: “The Empress Dowager? An unimportant person – seeing or not seeing doesn’t matter.”

She’d been away from the Forbidden City six months – it seemed besides the Yin Luo affair, there were other changes. From his tone, he didn’t seem to regard the Empress Dowager as important. She was still Father’s principal wife after all – her status remained.

She disliked his arrogant tone, frowning: “She’s still the Empress Dowager.”

The Emperor was quite impatient: “Always nagging and meddling in everything. Seeing I have a good temper, she takes to managing me! This is only because ancestral rules prevent deposing empress dowagers – otherwise I’d have sent her to Bei Wu Suo long ago to sober up.”

Wanwan wondered if this was meant to intimidate by example, or if it wasn’t for showing off before her, then he’d truly gone mad from cultivation practice recently.

She suppressed herself briefly but couldn’t endure it, planning to take leave: “Please forgive me for not sitting long, Second Brother. I’m unwell – sitting too long makes me uncomfortable. Anyway I’ve returned to the capital now. The future is long – let me rest first, then chat with Brother later.”

The Emperor’s lips pressed together as he looked at her with a furrowed brow: “Wanwan, I’m very happy to see you, but you don’t seem the same. What – did Nanyuan’s waters nourish you so well you can’t even recognize your own flesh and blood?”

If asked her heart, she truly wanted to have a big fight with him, but she knew she couldn’t. Not having seen him for so long, his thoughts were increasingly unpredictable. If he went mad, she herself didn’t matter, but she feared he’d vent his dissatisfaction on Liangshi – that would be terrible.

She could only speak kindly with him: “You blame me so – I can’t bear such guilt. How could I not be happy seeing Brother? But ruler is ruler, subject is subject. I’m no longer a child and can’t cling to Brother, or you’ll blame me for not understanding propriety.” She wearily called for the Inner Attendant to present things brought to Xihaizi: “The Prince knows Brother loves scholar’s implements – ink stones, jade paper, pine-smoke ink, scattered writing brushes, each piece from famous craftsmen’s hands, so difficult to find. The Prince says Nanyuan is busy with affairs now and can’t come to the capital for audience. He asked me to convey his regards to Your Majesty. When Huaining’s disaster relief is properly handled, he’ll enter the palace to kowtow and pay respects.”

Only then did the Emperor’s expression soften slightly, though he still asked: “Does Prince Nanyuan treat you well?”

She said well: “He’s respectful and knows his place. His usual words and deeds show no impropriety.”

Perhaps for ordinary families, “well” meant marital harmony, but imperial families definitely weren’t limited to this. They valued more whether those receiving imperial favor were cautious and fearful, even whether their attitude was humble when handing things over, whether they used both hands in offering. So those princes consort who married into the imperial family weren’t relaxed. Ordinary men could at least enjoy comfort at home, but for princes consort, one misstep offending their wives might be a tremendous disaster.

The Emperor had actually always paid attention to her married life. Indeed as she said, their couple got along fairly harmoniously – otherwise they couldn’t have conceived a child. He was just somewhat sad – Yuwen Liangshi was Great Ye’s heart trouble, and now Wanwan had truly developed feelings for him. Future matters would be difficult to handle.

He pondered with hands behind his back: “In your previous letter you said refugees were causing disaster along the Huaining line – you actually went there to see?”

Wanwan confirmed: “Huaining County Magistrate Sha Wansheng privately selling disaster grain is true. Where those hundred thousand stones of grain went, surely Your Majesty has already investigated clearly. I’m just a woman and shouldn’t rashly discuss politics. I can only rely on Your Majesty’s sageness to protect the state, eliminate treacherous officials, and not let loved ones grieve while enemies rejoice.”

The Emperor nodded extremely slowly: “I understand. Little sister’s concern for the state is my blessing. You said you were tired earlier, and we’ve delayed so long – it’s hard on you. Forget it, go rest first. Yude Palace is still kept for you.”

Once living in the palace, she’d have to cut all outside contact – this absolutely wouldn’t do. She smiled: “As I said, please Brother assign Yude Palace to the concubines below, letting them live more comfortably. As for me, a married daughter has no reason to re-enter the palace. Better to live at the Grand Princess mansion. I haven’t seen that new house yet – just right to have a look.”

The Emperor agreed, turning to call Yan Sunlang: “Transfer personnel from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to properly protect the Grand Princess mansion. If any errors occur, I’ll have you all strung up as lanterns!”

Yan Sunlang agreed repeatedly, gesturing for Her Highness to proceed. Wanwan’s heart was uneasy, guessing that while nominally protection, it was actually house arrest. This brother – he was truly ruthless enough.

She slowly descended the steps holding Yu Qixia’s arm, turning to Yan Sunlang: “Trouble Director to apologize to the Empress Dowager for me – I just arrived in the capital today and truly lack energy to enter the palace. I’ll pay respects to her tomorrow.”

Yan Sunlang bowed: “The Empress Dowager knowing Your Highness is with child surely won’t mind this. Your Highness should rest first – after all the travel hardships, seeing your spirits aren’t good either. Perhaps waiting until you recover before entering the palace won’t be too late.”

Walking on the embankment, her mood was vastly different from last year. Squinting into the distance, this park had added several more pavilions, all for His Majesty’s cultivation use. While northern people couldn’t make a living, His Majesty still had leisure to build – truly possessing Emperor Hui of Jin’s style of “why not eat meat porridge?”

She sighed deeply: “This journey owes much to Director Yan. When I next see His Majesty, I’ll request rewards for you.”

Yan Sunlang said he dared not: “This was my duty. Besides, the Prince gave thousands of instructions – just looking at the friendship between Prince and subject, I definitely had to safely escort Your Highness to the capital.”

Thinking of Liangshi, Wanwan felt slightly warmed. She lowered her hand to stroke her belly. Though the child was still small and except for making her vomit severely had basically no presence, she knew there was a little person inside, so her heart was peaceful – at least not so lonely.

Fortunately her new residence wasn’t far, right at East Commander’s Mansion Lane – four courtyards front to back, a very magnificent compound. Regrettably too tired to stop and look, she passed through directly and entered the second gate. Tonghuan and Xiao You were already waiting in the main room. They arranged things for her, served her to lie down, then quietly withdrew.

This sleep was deep, so much so that upon waking she didn’t know where she was. Staring blankly at the bright white courtyard under sunlight for a long time, she finally remembered she’d returned to Beijing. Immediately waves of lonely desolation surged to engulf her. She sat still as tears dampened the front of her garments.