Yan Yunning’s brow gave a faint twitch. She lifted her foot and walked toward the Grand Commandant’s estate.
Yu Zhi had barely heard the gatekeeper’s report before she was throwing on her outer garment and running out without even stopping to dress properly.
“Ningning.” At the sight of Yan Yunning’s slightly disheveled appearance, Yu Zhi clasped her cold hands with a heart full of tender concern. “What happened? Did His Highness the Crown Prince treat you poorly?”
“A’Jie…” Yan Yunning’s voice began to soften at the edges. “I want to bathe.”
“Of course, of course, of course.” Yu Zhi’s eyes grew red at the rims. “Come inside with A’Jie.”
Once Yan Yunning had bathed, Yu Zhi helped her select a dress she had never worn before and had her change into it, then instructed her maidservant Xiao Wu to prepare some porridge to warm her through. Yu Zhi sat beside Yan Yunning and gently dried her hair, asking nothing.
Afraid of pulling at Yan Yunning’s hair, Yu Zhi toweled it carefully and methodically, not pressing her with a single question.
“My Lady, Crown Princess — the porridge is ready.” Xiao Wu carried in the tray and set it before Yan Yunning.
“Ningning, taste it and see whether it suits your palate.” Yu Zhi smiled gently.
Yan Yunning had no appetite at all, but thinking of how she had thrown up everything she had eaten at dinner, she knew that if she ate nothing, it would not be good for the baby she was carrying. She mustered a faint smile. “Alright.”
Seeing that Yan Yunning was in low spirits, Yu Zhi kept up a light stream of cheerful banter to lift her mood.
Yan Yunning played along, smiling and letting her eyes curve with laughter.
——
Crown Prince’s Estate — Condensed Fullness Pavilion.
Xuan Yanyu sat up from the bed and pressed a hand to his aching, swimming temple.
“Your Highness, the water is ready. You may bathe now.” Ye’an kept his voice low and deferential.
“Mm.” The man gave a brief, indifferent nod and rose to step behind the privacy screen.
After bathing and washing up thoroughly, and once he was certain there was no lingering trace of wine on him, Xuan Yanyu stepped back out from behind the screen.
He raised his eyes to the window, taking in the fully darkened sky, and pressed his lips together. At this hour, Ningning should have long since gone to sleep.
If he went to the main hall now, it was very likely he would disturb her.
Xuan Yanyu dropped irritably into the sandalwood chair, laced his fingers behind his head, and leaned back to stare up at the ceiling beams — thinking that perhaps he ought to just give in…
Yet whenever he pictured the child calling Ningning “Mother” and Aci “Godfather,” the image unsettled him profoundly.
He also understood that Ningning’s desire to have the child acknowledge Aci as a godfather had no ulterior motive behind it — perhaps she wanted the child to have one more person to love him, or perhaps she wanted the child to care for Aci in his old age. Yet no matter how clearly his head understood it, his heart remained ill at ease.
His child lacked nothing in Aci’s love. As for looking after Aci in old age, he could simply send people to attend to him when the time came — there was no need for his child to take on a godfather.
The more he thought about it, the more vexed he became. Xuan Yanyu closed his eyes in a feigned attempt at rest. Ningning was with child, and he was afraid that if he went and questioned her, her stubbornness would draw them into a quarrel, and he would end up upsetting her instead.
“Your Highness.” Ye Chen shoved the door open without ceremony, his voice urgent. “Your Highness, Yan Shiyao has fainted — her breathing is very faint.”
Despite having already shown her considerable leniency, Yan Shiyao had still fainted.
“She has fainted, then — what use is telling this palace?” Xuan Yanyu said, his tone sharply impatient.
“…” Ye Chen pursed his lips. “Your Highness, the imperial physician has already been consulted. The physician says Yan Shiyao’s injuries are severe, and there is a considerable possibility of lasting after-effects. After she recovers, she will require careful and sustained recuperation.”
“What does that have to do with this palace?” Xuan Yanyu snapped. “In future, do not trouble this palace with inconsequential matters.”
Ye Chen gave a startled jolt. “Un— understood, Your Highness.”
——
In the darkened chamber, Yan Shiyao lay trying to make sense of it all. She had only wanted to rescue her mother — how had things come to this? She was so deeply, bitterly disappointed in Ningning…
Ningning had neither looked after her mother nor made any move to stop Xuan Yanyu from punishing her. From what she had been told, Ningning had emerged from it all completely unharmed. That shove Yan Shiyao had given her had not threatened the child in Ningning’s womb in the slightest.
“Ah—!” The medicinal powder was scattered over her wounds, and Yan Shiyao could not help but cry out.
The imperial physician glanced at her briefly, then continued applying the medicine.
Ye Chen, who had wandered back to the darkened chamber out of boredom to pass the time on night duty, found a spot and sat down.
“Sir, are you on duty here tonight? Has His Highness given some instruction?” The guard posted in the chamber caught sight of Ye Chen and asked politely.
Both Sir Ye Chen and Sir Ye’an were His Highness’s personal attendants, and their standing outranked the guards. Whenever either of them came by, it generally meant His Highness had some directive to relay.
“No, never mind me. Carry on with what you’re doing.” Ye Chen chewed on a piece of grass and let out a lazy yawn.
The guard nodded and set the gauze bandages the physician had asked for down beside Yan Shiyao.
“Sir, has His Highness said anything about when Yan Shiyao will be released?” the guard stepped over to Ye Chen’s side and asked.
In the midst of her pain, Yan Shiyao’s ears perked up.
“No idea.” Ye Chen spat out the blade of grass and replied without particular interest. “If not for the Grand Commandant’s wife shielding the Crown Princess, the little master in the Crown Princess’s womb might not have been saved. How could His Highness possibly let Yan Shiyao off so easily?”
Yan Shiyao’s heart plummeted. Had Prince Xuan not said he would persuade Xuan Yanyu to spare her life?
After being wounded this badly, would she still not be allowed to return to Qilan?
——
After lingering in Condensed Fullness Pavilion for quite some time, Xuan Yanyu ultimately could not stop himself — and made his way toward the main hall.
The hall was pitch black. Xuan Yanyu drew a slow breath and stepped inside. There were no night-watch maidservants to be found, and the man’s brow knitted sharply.
“Your Highness, why is there not a single maidservant on night watch?” Ye’an frowned.
Xuan Yanyu’s heart lurched and began to pound. His palms were slick with sweat. He stepped forward and carefully pushed open the hall door. What greeted his eyes was a disordered expanse of bedding — and no trace of the familiar figure he sought.
“Did Ningning take them all out with her?” Xuan Yanyu’s throat worked in a slow, measured roll. The sharp lines of his brow and eyes were now tinged with anxiety. “At this hour — where could they all have gone?”
“Your Highness, do not worry. Have the gate guards called over to ask.” Ye’an waved to the attendants behind them, gesturing urgently for someone to fetch them.
An attendant wasted no time and ran to the gate. After a quarter of an hour, two guards came striding back at a brisk pace.
“Paying respects to His Highness the Crown Prince.” The gate guards went down on one knee.
“Has the Crown Princess left the estate?” Ye’an asked, his tone grave.
The guard blinked. “The Crown Princess has left. The Crown Princess said the Queen was receiving her in the palace. She left the estate just as the sky was turning dark. The Crown Princess said Your Highness was aware of this. This subordinate, seeing that the Crown Princess had brought no maidservant, asked out of concern. The Crown Princess then produced Your Highness’s jade pendant.”
“After the Crown Princess left, this subordinate, still uneasy, went to Condensed Fullness Pavilion to find Your Highness and inquire — but the guards at the entrance said Your Highness had retired for the night, and that Your Highness was already aware the Crown Princess had gone to the palace…”
Ye’an looked toward the approaching Ye Chen and mouthed silently for him to go and summon both the maidservants from Yan Yunning’s side and the attendants who had been on duty in Condensed Fullness Pavilion at the time.
Ye Chen caught on immediately and nodded, turning and walking quickly back.
Xuan Yanyu struck the hall door hard with a clenched fist. His voice trembled. “Ningning… she left the estate by herself, without a single maidservant?”
She had dismissed her maidservants, told the guards he was aware of her going to the palace, and then taken his jade pendant to get herself through the gate. She was angry with him.
He had told her clearly he would come eat with her — and then he had left her entirely alone. If she simply wanted the child to acknowledge a godfather, why had he made such a fuss over it?
He could give the child to Aci entirely if she wanted…
“Yes… Your Highness.” The guard trembled with fear.
From the look of His Highness, it was clear he had not known the Crown Princess had left the estate.
“Search for her. Send people to the palace to look, and have everyone else follow this palace to the boulevard.” Xuan Yanyu could not contain his rising panic.
The likelihood of Ningning having gone to the palace was extremely low.
It was this late — where on earth had she gone, all alone?