“Your… Your Majesty, this way, please.” Ye Chen carefully opened the chamber doors.

Xuan Yanyu stood where he was and did not move, hardly able to believe that such a day would come when someone would dare to send him away.

The little one tilted his small head up to look at him. “Father, if you don’t leave now, you will be disturbing this official’s sleep.”

Xuan Yanyu: “…”

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.” Ye’an came sprinting at full speed and stepped into the chambers with great panting strides, dropping his voice low. “Your Majesty, the Empress says that if you have not returned by the middle of the hour of Hai, you and she will separate tonight. First thing tomorrow morning, she will have her name removed from the imperial jade registry.”

The moment Ye’an finished speaking, Xuan Yanyu, who had been standing still and refusing to leave, bolted out the door.

Ye’an: “…”

Xuan Yuncheng tilted his head in great curiosity, wondering what Ye’an had said to his father to make him vanish in a flash before his very eyes.

Ye Chen stared, dumbfounded. It was not often that the Emperor ran like that. The first time had been when Ye Jian lost track of the Empress. This was the second.

——

The Empress’s Palace.

Xuan Yanyu gazed at the open chamber doors. The candlelight wavered, alternately bright and dim in the wind. The bed inside was neatly made. The familiar person he held most dear was nowhere to be found.

Xuan Yanyu’s heart lurched. “Where is Lingning?”

“This servant does not know.” Qiuci crouched low, not daring to lift her head.

The man’s throat tightened. The depths of his pupils were filled with barely suppressed fury. “You don’t know? You cannot even say where Lingning has gone — what are you doing at her side?”

“Your… Your Majesty.” Qiuci sank to her knees on the floor in terror.

A dark, violent fury surfaced in Xuan Yanyu’s eyes. “Twenty strikes of the rod. Take her away.”

“Yes.” Ye’an did not dare to defy him, grim-faced as he was.

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty… this servant…”

“Quiet — twenty strikes won’t kill you. I’ll have someone go easy. Just put on a show.” Ye’an whispered close to Qiuci’s ear as he dragged her by the arm.

Qiuci turned her head. The tips of their noses bumped into each other unexpectedly. Their eyes met at close range without warning. Ye’an’s mind went blank for a moment.

Xuan Yanyu’s dark eyes fixed coolly on the two of them standing frozen. Sensing that heavy, stormy gaze, the red that had crept up Qiuci’s face drained away visibly, turning deathly pale.

Snapping back to himself, Ye’an promptly dragged Qiuci out of the chambers.

“Search everywhere. Every corner of the Empress’s palace — search it thoroughly.” Xuan Yanyu’s hand at his side clenched into a fist. He drew a long, deep breath, forcing himself to keep his emotions in check, his voice falling low and hollow. “Let word out first that Qiuci failed in her duty of watching over the Empress and received twenty strikes — there is no need to actually lay a hand on Qiuci.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The guards accepted the order.

Xuan Yanyu stepped out of the bedchambers and raised his head to look at the sky, not a single star visible. His throat moved slightly. Yet another night black as pitch — he could only hope that Lingning was simply angry with him, and had not left him again…

Elsewhere, in the brightly lit Ranle Palace, Yan Yunning was leaning over the side of a cradle, gazing with great delight at a tiny little girl whose small face was still all scrunched up, her small fists clenched tight.

A near-term premature baby, carefully tended for several days now — at this moment her small eyes had opened to a narrow slit, emitting faint, barely audible mewling cries. A coolness crept through the night air, and Yan Yunning tucked and retucked the corner of the blanket around her.

Because Xuan Zhaohan had been born prematurely, the Empress Dowager had been worried and, as an exception, summoned the married princess back to the palace to be cared for. Xuan Yanyu had no objection to the Empress Dowager’s proposal.

The Grand Emperor was somewhat displeased. The Empress Dowager then, right in front of the Grand Emperor, asked Xuan Yuncheng whether he liked his little sister, and if he did, whether they should bring his little sister and aunt into the palace — wouldn’t that be nice?

The little one shook his head. His little sister couldn’t even talk, so he had no interest in her. But bringing his aunt into the palace was something he agreed to. Under the little one’s soft, sweet words, the Grand Emperor could only close his eyes and nod.

The Empress Dowager moved quickly. That very morning she had sent people to bring Xuan Zhaohan and the little commandery princess into the palace. Yan Yunning, who had wanted to hide from Xuan Yanyu, came directly to Ranle Palace.

“Sister Empress, you have been crouching by the cradle ever since you arrived. Is little Nono really that pretty?” Xuan Zhaohan half-reclined against her soft pillows and sighed helplessly.

“Mm, very pretty.” Yan Yunning’s fingertip, with great care and lightness, tapped the little girl’s round, rosy little cheek.

The little girl’s small fist clenched tighter, and she let out a faint, reedy little protest.

Yan Yunning drew her fingertip back and retucked the little blanket around her again, then turned to look at Xuan Zhaohan with a regretful air. “I have no soft, delicately carved little daughter of my own — naturally I find one quite irresistible.”

“Sister Empress.” Xuan Zhaohan gave Yan Yunning a meaningful look. “Just ask my Royal Brother for one.”

“Ask Xuan Yanyu? No.” Yan Yunning twisted the handkerchief in her hands, growing annoyed all over again just thinking about it.

Xuan Yanyu right now was like a bird startled by every bowstring — having once tumbled into a ravine, he feared every cliff edge in sight. He still could not hear out her explanations and was convinced she was trying to placate him.

He was so terrified of losing her that she had no chance at all of having a soft, sweet little darling of her own again.

Xuan Zhaohan’s mind went blank with a thud. She stiffened on the bed — her Royal Brother, so young, was… was… how could he just… not be… not be…able to anymore?

Yan Yunning’s gaze drifted back to the little girl in the cradle. Her tiny little nostrils flaring gently in and out, her small body curled in on itself as she drifted off to sleep, even the tips of her fingernails faintly pink — she so wanted to take her away…

Xuan Zhaohan searched for delicate words, suggesting hesitantly, “Sister Empress, you could quietly go to the imperial physicians in secret and have them make up a remedy, then slip it to Royal Brother without him knowing, and try again.”

“Sister Empress, Royal Brother loves you very deeply — please don’t abandon him over this. The imperial physicians’ medicines can treat it.”

Xuan Zhaohan went on rambling, words tumbling out of her. She was terribly afraid that Lingning would leave her Royal Brother over this. And her Royal Brother really didn’t look the type — how could he just be so… so… hopeless in that regard?!

Yan Yunning’s eyes lit up brilliantly. “Ranhan, do you mean you want me to have the imperial physicians prepare a medicine and give it to Xuan Yanyu secretly?”

This idea was workable — except that secretly dosing the ruler with medicine was a capital offense, yes?

“Mm… yes.” Xuan Zhaohan nodded.

“Thank you, Ranhan.” Yan Yunning rose to her feet and waved toward Xuan Zhaohan, unable to contain the smile spreading across her face. “You are a wonderful little sister-in-law. In the future, I will have the baby thank you.”

“Huh?” Xuan Zhaohan stared blankly as Yan Yunning dashed out of the palace with great excitement, murmuring, “What wonderful little sister-in-law? What does this have to do with being a wonderful little sister-in-law?”

As Yan Yunning rushed out of the palace, she came face to face with Xuan Yanyu, whose expression was dark and displeased. She greeted him cheerfully and on her own initiative.

The man strode over quickly with a note of urgency in his step, reached out, and drew her into his arms.

“Separate? Removed from the jade registry?” Xuan Yanyu rested his chin on top of her hair, his voice unusually low and hoarse, with a deliberately suppressed fury beneath it.

“No such thing. I tricked you into coming to find me. I would never leave you.” Thinking of the plan she intended to carry out the next day, Yan Yunning made her voice very soft and gentle.

“Don’t say such things again.” The man’s voice dropped until it was barely more than breath.

“Mm, won’t say it again.” Yan Yunning held him tight and nodded like an obedient child.

Xuan Yanyu’s eyes filled with warmth and light. He gave a soft, quiet laugh. “Such a good girl.”

Yan Yunning felt a slight pang of guilt. She pressed close against him with a coquettish lilt to her voice. “Your Majesty, this one is tired — carry me back to the chambers on your back, won’t you?”

“Of course.” The man indulgently lowered himself to a half-crouch. Yan Yunning climbed onto his back and buried her cheek against his shoulder.

When she was about to do something “wicked,” she felt a little bad about it.

She could only avoid his gaze for the time being.