Li Jiubao was not one to sit back and wait for fate. When Prince Yu heard the good news that his beloved concubine was pregnant with her third child, he stopped sleeping with other beauties and rushed over to see her.

Li Jiubao, emboldened by carrying the dragon’s seed, boldly spoke up: “…This concubine comes from humble origins and hasn’t read many books – I only recognize a few characters now. With this third pregnancy, I feel my energy isn’t what it used to be. Moreover, Sanlang is the eldest son, so he shouldn’t be raised entirely by women’s hands. It’s time for him to move to the outer courtyard and formally begin his studies, surrounded by learned and virtuous scholars, so he can achieve great things in the future.”

In the inner quarters, Princess Consort Yu could call the little prince out to play at any time, but in the outer quarters, once he formally began his studies, at least a dozen tutors would surround him, taking turns teaching. No one could call him away.

Li Jiubao didn’t want to use her eldest son as a pawn in power struggles. She wanted him away from the scheming of the inner quarters, focused on his studies. Only through learning could he understand principles. Let her and Princess Consort Yu tear each other apart in the inner quarters – there was no need to involve the child.

Prince Yu hesitated upon hearing this. “Sanlang is only four years old. Isn’t this too early?”

Li Jiubao threw herself into Prince Yu’s arms, her eyes reddening. “He’s four years old and has long since begun his education, recognizing thousands of characters and able to read the sages’ books. Yet he still doesn’t have a formal name and hasn’t been entered into the imperial registry. He was born different from others, surrounded by dangers, so naturally he must work far harder than ordinary people. Your Highness can rest assured – this concubine will inquire about his daily life and take care of his health. I can only give him life, but his learning and knowledge must come from the mansion’s great scholars. I hope he can become accomplished as early as possible.”

Prince Yu had been neglected by his imperial father since childhood, only formally beginning his studies at twelve. When Li Jiubao mentioned this, he instantly recalled the cold treatment he received in the Forbidden City. Since they could give their son the best education now, why not? His son wasn’t an ordinary child – he was intelligent, studious, and a prodigy. His current learning was equivalent to a ten-year-old’s, so let him start studying early.

Prince Yu comforted Li Jiubao. “Then we’ll do as you say. What I never had, my son shall have. I’ll give him the very best. Let Master Zhang oversee his studies. Master Zhang manages the Imperial Academy with countless students under him. When Sanlang grows up, these students will all be talented individuals at his disposal.”

Unlike his imperial father who insisted “two dragons cannot meet,” Prince Yu wished he could immediately petition to name Sanlang as heir apparent, securing the succession for him to inherit everything. But he couldn’t do this – formal investiture required first giving him a formal name, and Emperor Jiajing had yet to bestow one, so Sanlang couldn’t become heir apparent.

Out of compensation, Prince Yu wanted to give his son everything within his power.

And so, the little prince was moved out of the inner quarters. Though he was a prodigy, he was only four years old after all and naturally depended on his mother. He didn’t want to move out or leave his mother. Though she was strict with him, she had gentle moments too.

Tears welled in his eyes, his little mouth trembling again and again, but he held back and didn’t cry aloud. From childhood, his mother and tutors had taught him to be strong, not to cry, and to be obedient.

The little prince held back, but Li Jiubao couldn’t. She pulled his small body into her arms. “Though you’re moving to the outer courtyard, you’ll still come pay respects to His Highness and the Princess Consort every morning. After paying respects, come see your sister and… me. Teach your sister to speak, play with her a while, then return to your studies. It’s the same as usual, just living a bit farther away.”

“I’ve spoken with Master Zhang. For every ten days of study, there’s one day of rest. I’ll always keep your room ready. On rest days, you can come back and spend the night.”

The little prince nodded understandingly, but emotionally he still couldn’t bear it. When leaving, he clutched tightly at Li Jiubao’s skirt hem.

Li Jiubao’s heart felt pierced. She didn’t forcefully pull her son’s little hand away but let him hold on, embracing him and patting his back as she had when lulling him to sleep as a baby. After a long while, the little prince finally released her skirt on his own.

Making a four-year-old child accept the reality of leaving his mother was truly cruel, but staying in the rear quarters would make him a pawn in the game between Li Jiubao and Princess Consort Yu.

With no good choices, she could only pick the less bad one.

Li Jiubao held her son’s hand and personally escorted him out of the rear courtyard. Tutor Zhang Juzheng had been waiting by the hanging flower gate for some time. He was of medium height with proper features and a handsome beard.

Li Jiubao entrusted her son to him. “I leave him in Master Zhang’s care.”

Zhang Juzheng took the little prince’s hand. “This minister will not fail this mission.”

Because Li Jiubao’s third pregnancy came too quickly, Wei Caiwei worried her body couldn’t handle it, so she came to check her pulse every ten days. This time, learning that the little prince had already moved to the outer quarters to live independently, her heart couldn’t find peace for a long time.

Returning home to Tianshui Lane, Wei Caiwei told Wang Daxia what she had witnessed at Prince Yu’s mansion today. “…I once heard a story about two women fighting over a child in court, both claiming to have given birth to him. The magistrate decided to split the child in half, one half to each. One woman gave up, saying she didn’t want him anymore. The magistrate then awarded the child to her, reasoning that only a mother would choose to give up her child to save its life.”

“I always thought this was a made-up story. I never expected to see it happen right before my eyes.”

Wei Caiwei was quite melancholy. “The more one struggles in this mundane world, the more one realizes how many helpless situations exist. Swift revenge and clear-cut justice are extremely rare.”

Wang Daxia was still stuck on the little prince beginning formal studies at four, clicking his tongue repeatedly. “When I was five, I was still playing in mud. My name ‘Wang Daxia’ – I could only write the middle character ‘Da.’ I started school at seven, and every tutor couldn’t last a month before I drove them away in frustration. Our future children must never take after me!”

After a pause, Wang Daxia corrected himself: “They can follow you in studies, but everything else can follow me. Our future children will definitely be smart, adorable, and beautiful – fair-skinned with long legs. Scholarly enough to write prescriptions, martial enough to fight, able to draw a bow on horseback and wield a broadsword on foot. If male, he’ll be the dream of all young ladies in the capital. If female, she’ll be the dream of all young men in the capital – bah! Whoever dares dream about my daughter, I’ll kill him!”

Wang Daxia hadn’t even married and had children yet, but was already automatically adopting a father-in-law’s mentality, ready to kill any brats who dared covet his daughter.

After successfully avenging his father, the gloom in Wang Daxia’s eyes gradually disappeared, and that familiar light slowly returned. There were still occasional fluctuations, but at least it had returned.

“Be more realistic. The three-year mourning period isn’t even over yet, and you’re already thinking so far ahead.” Wei Caiwei tied a fragrant sachet filled with prepared spices to Wang Daxia’s waist to repel mosquitoes.

Though Wei Caiwei spoke dismissively, she was actually quite happy to hear Wang Daxia ramble on. People couldn’t always carry the burden of past sorrows – looking toward the future was a good way to gradually shed that painful baggage.

Besides, neither she nor Wang Daxia was walking alone. They would walk through the rest of their lives together.

Soft fingers moving at his waist tickled Wang Daxia, making his mind wander. “Only seven months and twelve days left.” He counted down the days daily.

After the mourning period, they could arrange their marriage delayed by three years and do Wang Xiaoxia’s favorite things.

Wang Daxia was truly filial. This rake famous for his dissolute and frivolous ways had maintained proper celibacy throughout the three years of his father’s mourning, never crossing that line. Wei Caiwei secretly admired this, thinking their future children’s willpower had better take after their father.

“There.” Wei Caiwei straightened Wang Daxia’s collar. “Hurry to the Embroidered Uniform Guard office. Don’t be late, or Lu Ying will dock your pay.”

At the mention of money, Wang Daxia immediately stopped dawdling. He swept Wei Caiwei into his arms, buried his nose in her neck, and took a deep breath. “My fiancée smells so good!”

Seven months and seventeen days until he could “taste” this deliciousness again.

Time passed in Wang Daxia’s daily countdown to the end of mourning, Li Jiubao’s gradually swelling belly at Prince Yu’s mansion, and the little prince’s practice copybooks.

The capital entered another winter amid swirling sandstorms. Pedestrians wore eye veils and masks. In the Forbidden City, Shang Qinglan was confined to Yude Palace, unable to go out. Feeling stifled and restless, she tossed and turned unable to sleep. Emperor Jiajing, advanced in age with even less sleep, asked, “What troubles my beloved consort? Are you unwell somewhere?”

Shang Qinglan said, “No, I just feel bored.”

Emperor Jiajing simply sat up. “What would my beloved consort find interesting? I’ll accompany you.”

Emperor Jiajing was old and chronically ill, his body failing. “Playing” was just playing – he couldn’t do anything else. But Shang Qinglan was only eighteen, in her prime. Emperor Jiajing wanted to compensate his beloved consort, indulging her in everything.

Shang Qinglan had a sudden inspiration. “It’s too windy and dusty outside. Let’s play with fireworks inside the palace.”

Emperor Jiajing and his beloved consort got up and lit box after box of fireworks. Seeing his beloved consort’s smile, Emperor Jiajing felt it was worth it.

A lit butterfly firework flew onto the bed, the sparks igniting the bed curtains…

Wei Caiwei was awakened by commotion in the middle of the night. She pushed open her window to look out. The bitter north wind carrying sand nearly knocked her over. Fire blazed skyward from the direction of the Forbidden City. Besides the earthy smell of windblown sand, there was the scent of smoke in the air.

This familiar scene, this familiar smell. Wei Caiwei closed the window and glanced at the almanac on her desk. The events of her previous life were happening again at the same moment. The Emperor and Shang Qinglan were playing with fireworks in Yude Palace and set the palace ablaze.

In such dry, windy weather, fire spread easily. Even if the Dragon King himself summoned wind and rain over the Forbidden City, it couldn’t be saved.

In the space of half a night, Yude Palace burned to a pile of charred earth, black ash floating throughout the capital. This time Shang Qinglan had played big, turning the entire Yude Palace into her fireworks display.

Court officials memorialized the throne comparing Shang Qinglan to the kingdom-destroying Su Daji, demanding severe punishment for Noble Lady Shang.

Emperor Jiajing had the memorializing officials beaten with boards and stripped of office. If Shang Qinglan was Su Daji, wouldn’t that make him a tyrant?

So not only did Emperor Jiajing not punish Shang Qinglan, he promoted her rank from Noble Lady to Imperial Consort. Since Emperor Jiajing’s health had been poor lately and he was always falling ill, what he most hoped for was longevity. Therefore, he gave Shang Qinglan a title full of hope and blessing – Shou (Longevity).

Shang Qinglan became Imperial Consort Shang Shou, even more honored and favored than before.

Author’s Note: When elderly people fall in love, they really can set the old house on fire. This is also the emperor’s final romance.