The carriage stopped outside the palace gate, with Cui Yinshui personally placing a footstool beside it. Jiafu alighted and was led into the palace, through many twists and turns, finally arriving at the same hall where Pei You’an had brought her to express gratitude the morning after their grand wedding. She entered and waited in the outer hall. Cui Yinshui told her to wait a moment, hurried inside, and emerged shortly after. He then led Jiafu in, stopping at the entrance to the inner hall, and softly announced: “Your Majesty, Lady Zhen has arrived.”

Li Yuangui came out, signaling Cui Yinshui to withdraw. Jiafu was grateful for his secret arrangements to care for Pei You’an, but this was not the place to express thanks, so she simply gave him a curtsy. Li Yuangui hurriedly stepped back and said softly: “Follow me.” He then turned and went inside.

Jiafu composed herself, followed his steps, and entered. The emperor, dressed in imperial robes, was sitting on the same huanghuali wood chair with dragon carvings as before. He looked thinner but his expression was stern, without any of the former kindness. Seeing his gaze fall upon her, she lowered her head, knelt on the cushion laid on the floor, and performed the kowtow.

Li Yuangui had also left, leaving only Jiafu and the emperor in the hall. The emperor said, “Rise,” and then added, “Li Yuangui says you wish to see me. What is the matter?” His tone was indifferent.

Jiafu thanked him for his grace but remained kneeling, saying: “Your Majesty, this criminal’s wife seeks an audience to beg Your Majesty’s mercy, to allow me to also go to the northern frontier. My husband has offended Your Majesty; if he were executed, I would collect his remains. Now, fortunately, spared by Your Majesty’s clemency, his life is preserved. Since ancient times, husband and wife are one body—I am willing to share his punishment and accompany him.”

As she spoke, she secretly observed the emperor’s expression. Seeing that though his demeanor remained cool, there appeared to be no anger, she kowtowed again and continued: “Besides my wish to share his punishment, I dare not deceive Your Majesty—I am also concerned. The north is bitterly cold with fierce winds and sand. I’ve heard that in those places, by November, it’s already a frozen world. My husband has been physically weak since childhood. In recent years, he has been busy with military affairs, then rushing east and west. In the two years I’ve been married to him, the days he stayed home could be counted on my fingers. He was already exhausting his body and mind, and now he has gone to such a place with no one to care for his well-being. I worry his bedding won’t be warm enough and his old illness might relapse. If something unfortunate happens, it would waste Your Majesty’s mercy in sparing his life.”

Though these words were meant to remind the emperor, they were indeed her true thoughts. Her eyes reddened.

“He brought this upon himself! I gave him several chances, which he disregarded!”

The emperor finally spoke, his tone no longer indifferent as when he had first addressed her, but slightly elevated.

Seeing his expression become somewhat agitated, Jiafu lowered her head further: “Before my grandmother-in-law passed away, she dismissed everyone else and told me about my husband’s background. Though named the eldest son of the Duke of Weiguo’s household, he was adopted from outside by my father-in-law. My husband’s birth father was a different brother of my father-in-law who, for certain reasons, could not raise him. His mother unfortunately died of postpartum hemorrhage two days after giving birth to him—his life history is truly pitiful. Grandmother said she regarded him as her grandson. Knowing his frail health, the only concern she had before her departure was for him, ordering me to take care of him no matter what. I promised her then, and now I dare not abandon him. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy again and allow me to go with him, both to fulfill my duty as a wife and to keep my promise to Grandmother.”

A silence fell over the hall, the emperor not speaking.

As Jiafu waited, she secretly glanced up at the emperor, seeing his gaze fixed and unmoving. She guessed her words must have evoked his memory of visiting the grandmother, so she lowered her head again.

“Let me ask you, how did you come by this object? Do you know its origin?”

After a while, the emperor finally spoke again, his voice deep.

Jiafu looked up to see that orchid-patterned jade pendant, which the emperor had taken out from somewhere and was gripping in his hand. His eyes were focused on her, his gaze dark and complex.

When Pei You’an had given her this jade pendant in Quanzhou, he had said it was left by his father before death.

But after learning Pei You’an’s true background, Jiafu felt there was more to it.

She had previously secretly inquired from the elderly servants of the Pei family and learned that Pei Wenjing had loved orchids since childhood. In her maiden years, her courtyard was filled with orchids. She was also skilled at painting; the old madam of the Pei family still kept one of her early paintings, signed with a seal reading “Wulan Qiujun,” further confirming that this jade pendant carved with orchid patterns must be Pei Wenjing’s belongings. Upon arriving in the capital, eager to see the emperor yet repeatedly denied an audience, Jiafu, in her anxiety, suddenly remembered this heirloom of Pei Wenjing’s and presented it.

Given the emperor’s former closeness to Pei Wenjing, Jiafu assumed he would recognize this jade pendant, though she wasn’t entirely certain if he had any connection to it. Now, seeing the emperor’s expression and relying on intuition, she immediately determined that not only did the emperor recognize it, but he likely had a profound connection to the pendant.

So she said: “Your Majesty, this jade pendant was given to me by my husband as a marriage token.”

“If so, why did you present it to me? What was your intention?” the emperor asked, his expression tense, tone somewhat confrontational.

Jiafu replied: “Your Majesty, this was also Grandmother’s deathbed instruction. She said if my husband ever faced difficulty, I should bring this pendant before Your Majesty, saying that for the sake of an old friendship, Your Majesty would surely help him out of trouble. When I urgently sought an audience with Your Majesty some days ago but was not granted one, I remembered Grandmother’s words and boldly presented the pendant. I do not know what crime my husband has committed and dare not ask, but I assume it must be unforgivable, otherwise, with Your Majesty’s wisdom, you would not be so angered. Therefore, I dare not plead for his pardon, only beg Your Majesty to allow me to go with him, to care for him, lest something unfortunate happen.”

The emperor sat still for a moment, his expression gradually softening. After a while, he suddenly asked: “Did Lady Pei mention anything else to you about this jade pendant?”

Jiafu looked up, saw the emperor staring intently at her, his expression seemingly nervous, and lowered her eyes, saying: “I only heard Grandmother say that my husband’s mother held this pendant in her palm for two days before her death, only placing it solemnly in my husband’s swaddling clothes at the very end…”

She stopped.

“Did she tell you whether Right’an’s mother harbored any resentment before she died?”

The emperor leaned forward, his voice somewhat unsteady.

Jiafu shook her head: “Grandmother was very weak then and stopped after saying a few words. I didn’t dare ask more. However…”

She lowered her head and softly said: “However, as I imagine it, any woman who clutches something until her death must be thinking of someone connected to that object—how could there be hatred? Especially since she solemnly left it for her child. She must have hoped this object would protect her child, ensuring a life free from calamity and pain, filled with joy and without worry.”

The emperor remained motionless, his expression a mix of joy and sorrow, with a hint of tears in his eyes. After a long while, he rose from his seat, still clutching the jade pendant, and leaving Jiafu behind, slowly walked away, his footsteps gradually fading.

Jiafu dared not rise, remaining alone, kneeling in the vast hall.

A moment later, footsteps approached from behind as Li Yuangui hurried in. Seeing Jiafu still kneeling, he helped her up, a smile appearing on his face, saying: “Lady Zhen, good news! His Majesty has granted your request and allows you to go with him.”

Those words she had spoken were Jiafu’s conjecture, fabricated to align with what she guessed was the emperor’s sentiment. Even if she had spoken wrongly, she believed that if Pei Wenjing knew from heaven, she would understand Jiafu’s desperate situation and not blame her. Now, hearing that the emperor had finally relented, she was overjoyed, holding back tears that threatened to spill, and thanked Li Yuangui.

Li Yuangui said: “I am but a servant, how dare I accept your thanks? His Majesty just said you are more reasonable than Lord Pei, which pleased him greatly. After all, they had a relationship as sovereign and subject. Lord Pei had merits in the past; you must surely understand how His Majesty treated Lord Pei. His Majesty said Lord Pei harbored disloyal thoughts this time, which is why his crime is unforgivable. When you go there, explain to Lord Pei that loyalty to the emperor is like filial piety to a father. If he understands this, His Majesty will pardon him, and you two can return earlier.”

Jiafu nodded at each sentence Li Yuangui spoke, inwardly impatient to set out immediately. Li Yuangui seemed to have noticed and smiled, saying: “Let’s not delay then. Prepare your belongings, and I’ll have someone take you there as soon as possible.”