Returning to Prince Hui’s manor, Zhao Sui first sent Eunuch Cao to Xiangshan Temple to donate an additional sum of merit silver, then estimated that his father the Emperor had finished his afternoon rest before entering the palace.

When father and son’s eyes met, Emperor Yongchang saw the joy his son could barely conceal beneath his restrained expression, while Zhao Sui saw the teasing look in his father the Emperor’s eyes.

Zhao Sui knelt down and said, “This son begs Father Emperor to make the decision for him.”

Emperor Yongchang told his son to rise, saying, “This young woman has gained your favor yet can still rationally weigh the disparity in family status and keep it hidden from her family. Upon suddenly meeting with me, she could remain unruffled, neither humble nor arrogant. Based on these two points alone, she has already surpassed most daughters of prestigious families in the capital.”

He had only met Yao Huang once, but that single meeting allowed him to see many admirable qualities in her. If Yao Huang had been terrified upon audience with the Emperor, losing all composure and trembling with fear, no different from any common commoner, then even if the young lady was stunningly beautiful, Emperor Yongchang probably still would have been unwilling, at most grudgingly agreeing for his son’s sake.

When considering their children’s marriages, all parents under heaven pay attention to family status. Emperor Yongchang was no exception, but he knew even better that high or low family status never determined a person’s level of talent and learning. Prestigious families merely provided superior conditions for their children to develop talent—how much they could learn still depended on the children’s natural gifts and character. Common families lacked these conditions, but hadn’t there been countless great talents and even emperors who emerged from among the common people?

Regarding his daughters-in-law, Emperor Yongchang did not have excessively high requirements for their talents and learning. Things like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were all merely icing on the cake. What Emperor Yongchang valued more was his daughters-in-law’s character—internally, they should live in harmony and love with his sons; externally, they should distinguish right from wrong, be benevolent and love the people, and treat worthy scholars with courtesy. At the same time, their natal families should also be law-abiding people who would not abuse their power among the common folk just because they had become imperial relatives, or even develop greater ambitions.

His son liked Yao Huang, so there would definitely be no problem with the young couple’s feelings after marriage. Yao Huang was calm in the face of events, quick-witted, knew when to advance and retreat, and responded with eloquence—she was almost superior to some local prefects who came to the capital to report on their work. She was exactly the kind of intelligent person Emperor Yongchang liked most. And the couple Yao Zhenhu and Luo Jinhua had clear and simple family backgrounds, while Yao Lin’s straightforwardness was directly inherited from Yao Zhenhu as described by Jiang Qu—there would absolutely be no trouble from imperial relatives by marriage.

Therefore, Emperor Yongchang was willing to satisfy his son’s request and bestow the marriage upon him.

“However, Yao Zhenhu’s official position is still too low. You may not care, but I don’t want the officials and common people to suspect that I don’t value you.”

“Just wait a bit. I’ll find an opportunity to promote Yao Zhenhu’s official rank.”

Getting officials to seek promotion themselves required political achievements and currying favor with him, but for him as Emperor to want to promote an official—how could that be difficult?

Emperor Yongchang promised his son in a relaxed tone.

This matter was beneficial to the Yao family. Even though Zhao Sui was anxious to give Miss Yao a clear imperial marriage decree as soon as possible, he could only cooperate with his father the Emperor.

Before Emperor Yongchang could figure out an opportunity to promote Yao Zhenhu, after just two days, urgent military reports suddenly came from the north—the Wu nation had led three hundred thousand cavalry in a massive southern invasion. The north was in crisis!

Emperor Yongchang’s heart sank. He quickly summoned civil and military officials to discuss the matter. Because this battle was the largest-scale conflict with the Wu nation in over a decade, for the sake of caution the capital needed to send one hundred thousand troops to reinforce the north.

Led by Duke Zhenguo Li Qian, all four Metropolitan Camp commanders stepped forward requesting to lead troops into battle.

Prince Hui Zhao Sui walked before the four generals. Meeting the gaze of Emperor Yongchang looking down from the dragon throne, he said, “Father Emperor, this son is willing to lead troops to reinforce the north. And only if this son goes can it inspire the morale of the border troops to resist the enemy.”

The more troops the Wu nation deployed, the more easily the border troops would feel fear. At this time, if the Emperor sitting secure in the capital sent out a prince to rush to the front lines, it showed that the Emperor had confidence in this battle—otherwise he absolutely would not dare send a prince to take such risks. It also told the hundreds of thousands of border troops that when a great enemy attacked, the imperial offspring were willing to live and die together with the soldiers and fight side by side—the Emperor would not disregard the life of any single soldier.

The reasoning was sound, but all hearts are biased, and Emperor Yongchang was reluctant to let his most valued second son go take such risks.

However, the usually taciturn Prince Hui became eloquent whenever he requested to go to war. In front of the full court of civil and military officials, if Emperor Yongchang did not agree, it would be admitting that he valued a prince’s life more heavily than the lives of commoners’ sons.

Prince Hui had to go. From the four Metropolitan Camps with over fifty thousand soldiers each, Emperor Yongchang selected the strongest forces—the Eastern and Southern Camps—to accompany Prince Hui on the campaign.

After failing to dissuade him once during the morning court session, Zhao Sui chased to the imperial study after court dismissed and begged his father the Emperor to let him lead the Western and Northern Camp soldiers to reinforce the north instead. His reasoning was that if the Wu nation’s cavalry broke through the northern defense line, having the Eastern and Southern Camps’ one hundred thousand troops defending the capital would be more secure.

Emperor Yongchang said, “I will leave Li Qian behind. With him here, you need not worry about my safety or the capital’s security.”

Zhao Sui said, “But—”

Emperor Yongchang looked at his son with piercing eyes: “You don’t want to lead the Eastern Camp because you’re actually afraid that Yao Zhenhu might meet with some mishap on the battlefield and Yao Huang would be heartbroken, aren’t you?”

Zhao Sui lowered his eyes.

Emperor Yongchang sneered coldly: “When you volunteered to go to the battlefield, how come you didn’t think that I would also worry about you? Common mothers often scold their sons for forgetting their mothers once they marry wives. I see that you haven’t even married a wife yet and you’ve already forgotten me, your father! I’m telling you—either you and the Eastern Camp both don’t go to the front lines, or you take the Eastern Camp with you. This will be a perfect opportunity for me to see whether Yao Zhenhu truly has the ability to ‘shake tigers,’ whether he has the qualifications for me to promote him!”

“Also, I’ll bestow the marriage upon you first—”

Zhao Sui said urgently, “Father Emperor, marriage is an important matter. This son does not wish it to be handled too hastily. I humbly beg Father Emperor to wait until this son returns victorious before issuing the imperial marriage decree.”

Emperor Yongchang gritted his teeth and pointed at his son kneeling on the ground, scolding: “Do you think I’ve grown old and muddled, unable to see that you’re afraid—”

Before finishing his words, Emperor Yongchang suddenly turned away.

He was the Emperor, usually high above others, but his heart was also made of flesh. His son worried about this person and that person, but never thought that he would also be afraid.

Zhao Sui looked at the dragon pattern on his father the Emperor’s robe hem. After a moment of silence, he said, “Father Emperor, please do not worry. This son will return. When this son returns, I will trouble Father Emperor to arrange a grand and glorious wedding for this son.”

With the army’s departure imminent, Yao Zhenhu had been busy in the military camp for a day and night before finally finding time to hurry home to Changshou Alley.

The news had already spread throughout the capital. Yao Huang accompanied her mother in helping her father pack some clothing and shoes, while Yao Lin had also taken leave from the martial academy to wait and bid farewell to his father.

When Yao Zhenhu galloped home on horseback, at first glance he saw that both his wife and daughter had reddened eyes, and his daughter even threw herself into his arms.

Yao Zhenhu smiled and patted his daughter’s head, saying nonchalantly, “What’s there to fear? You know your father’s abilities—I can fight but don’t know how to flatter superiors, so I’ve been stuck in the Metropolitan Camp and found it hard to get promoted. I’ve been hoping to go to the battlefield and earn merit for so many years, and this year I’ve finally gotten the chance! Your father here couldn’t be happier. You should all be happy too and think more about the good things like father earning merit and getting promoted.”

Yao Huang sobbed: “I don’t care about being the daughter of some high official. I just want father to return safe and sound.”

Yao Zhenhu said, “Then pray more to the bodhisattvas for your father. Didn’t Mr. Zhao give you a prayer bracelet blessed by the abbot of Xiangshan Temple? If you have nothing to do, turn it a few times each day—it will definitely work.”

At this mention, Yao Huang felt even more like crying. She hadn’t told her father yet that Prince Hui had proposed marriage to her, thinking she would wait until Emperor Yongchang bestowed the marriage and give her father a surprise directly—

Yao Zhenhu handed his daughter over to his son to comfort and pulled his wife into the eastern room to say intimate words. Luo Jinhua knew about their daughter’s good news but didn’t dare tell her husband now, afraid that he would want to earn merit even more to bring honor to their daughter.

Yao Zhenhu only stayed home for half a double-hour before taking his bundle and hurrying away.

When the army departed, Emperor Yongchang would go outside the city to see the army off. The main roads in the city were cleared, strictly prohibiting common people from going and causing congestion. Moreover, the one hundred thousand soldiers were all outside the city, and commoners could not exit the city gates. Since she could not go out to see her husband off, Luo Jinhua sat at home with her daughter in a daze, occasionally shedding tears.

Outside the window, the sun rose higher and higher. The army must have set out long ago.

Luo Jinhua pulled herself together again. Since she had married a man who served in the military camp back then, she had long prepared herself for the day her husband would go to the battlefield. Apart from living her own life well and hoping for the court to win the war so her husband could return earlier, the three of them—mother and two children—in the capital couldn’t help her husband with anything.

Yao Huang also understood this reasoning. She just couldn’t bear to part with her father.

Neighbors from left and right all came to console the mother and daughter. Yao Huang shut herself in the western wing room while her mother dealt with the visitors.

Here, Luo Jinhua had just seen off two kind-hearted neighbors when she saw a carriage turn around the corner at the head of the alley. With her mind unsettled, Luo Jinhua simply stood at the door to watch the excitement. Unexpectedly, that carriage actually stopped in front of her own home. The carriage door opened, and a wealthy family’s wife with a kindly face, wearing fine cloth clothing, bent down and stepped out.

Luo Jinhua asked, “You are…?”

Nanny Liu smiled and said, “Are you Madam Luo?”

Luo Jinhua nodded.

Nanny Liu approached her and said in a low voice, “This old servant is the steward nanny of Prince Hui’s manor, specially sent by His Highness the Prince to deliver several gifts to Miss Yao.”

Luo Jinhua’s mouth dropped open. She stared dumbstruck as two young maidservants lifted down from the carriage two long and two short boxes—four boxes total—and stood respectfully behind that nanny who clearly looked more like an official’s wife than she herself did.

Coming back to her senses, Luo Jinhua directly led Nanny Liu and the three others to her daughter’s western wing room.

Yao Huang was sitting listlessly on the kang when she learned that the three strangers her mother had brought in were actually people from Prince Hui’s manor. Yao Huang didn’t pay much attention, even feeling that Prince Hui’s gift-giving was poorly timed. Her mind was completely full of worries about her own father’s safety—she had no mood to think about anything else.

It wasn’t until Nanny Liu sent the two young maidservants out and revealed that Prince Hui had also led troops into battle that Yao Huang suddenly burst into tears again.

Wonderful! Her father had gone to the battlefield, and the young master she had just met had also gone!

What fourteen-year-old young lady wouldn’t cry encountering such a thing? Nanny Liu gently consoled her: “Miss, don’t be afraid. Our Prince fought and won battles in the southern frontier when he was only eighteen. This time going north, he will surely send back continuous reports of victory as well. Miss, just wait for the good news.”

Yao Huang wiped her tears and nodded. She had to think positively—the more she thought about it, the more efficacious it would be.

After coaxing the young lady, Nanny Liu left behind a letter and four boxes before departing, not allowing Yao Huang to see her off.

Taking advantage of her mother’s absence, Yao Huang quickly opened the four boxes to check if there was anything inconvenient for her mother to see later.

Both long boxes contained mounted paintings. One depicted Yao Huang in a red dress riding on a tree-lined official road, looking back over her shoulder. The other depicted several stalks of Yao Huang peonies.

Yao Huang didn’t examine them too carefully and continued checking the two small boxes. One box contained a thick stack of banknotes, while the other contained a gold waist token from Prince Hui.

Her vision blurred. Yao Huang opened Prince Hui’s letter. There weren’t many words—the general meaning was that he would do his best to look after her father. If he could return victorious, he would marry her as his princess consort as agreed. If things turned out contrary to his wishes, he hoped to give the young lady he liked a lifetime of wealth and comfort without worry, and that waist token might protect her from being bullied by the powerful a few times.

When Luo Jinhua returned after seeing Nanny Liu off, she found her daughter prostrate on the bedding, sobbing uncontrollably.

Naturally, Yao Huang would not touch Prince Hui’s box of banknotes. She didn’t even count the exact amount of the banknotes.

But she loved to unfold the three paintings Prince Hui had given her every day. Her favorite was actually the Yao Huang peony painting, because Yao Huang had written her own name countless times and always felt those two characters were plain and ordinary. Yet the characters “Yao” and “Huang” inscribed by Prince Hui faintly possessed a kind of lively, graceful beauty.

Separated by thousands of miles, Yao Huang missed her father most. But every festival, Nanny Liu from Prince Hui’s manor would send festival gifts—some for her mother and brother, and some for her: silk fabrics, jewelry, or rouge and face powder. Having received so many, even after a full two years had passed, sixteen-year-old Yao Huang still remembered Prince Hui, whom she had only met four times when she was fourteen.

Spring came again. Luo Jinhua accompanied her daughter on a trip to Jinxiu Garden.

Yao Huang stood before that patch of Yao Huang peony flower beds, staring at the willow trees and grassy ground inside for a long time. If not for Nanny Liu and the various gifts she had delivered on Prince Hui’s behalf, if not for the beautiful lady portrait now hanging in their home, Yao Huang would almost think that scene from two years ago had been merely a dream.

But she could no longer remember Prince Hui’s appearance clearly—only a refined outline remained, only his habitual gesture of lowering his eyes.

At the end of the month, Luo Jinhua received a letter from her husband sent from the north.

Yao Zhenhu’s handwriting was mediocre, but this letter was especially sloppy, with every character revealing barely suppressed joy.

“Jinhua, I’ve earned great merit! Marquis Weiyuan General Cen was surrounded by enemy forces. Prince Hui led us to the rescue. The enemy outnumbered us greatly. In the end, only Commander Jiang, Qianhu Li, and a dozen or so of us managed to escort Prince Hui and General Cen to break through the encirclement. I even blocked an arrow for Prince Hui! The wound isn’t serious, don’t worry. The key point is that I saved Prince Hui! Even Commander Jiang’s merit isn’t as great as mine!”

“The enemy army has already been beaten into fear by us and keeps retreating. Just wait—we’ll win soon and come back!”

There were many misspelled characters. Luo Jinhua read while feeling both frightened in retrospect and unable to suppress her laughter. After reading this page, she discovered the next page showed her husband getting amorous, so Luo Jinhua quickly turned it face down, not letting her daughter who was waiting beside her see it.

Yao Huang wasn’t as familiar with recognizing her father’s handwriting as her mother was, so she didn’t catch sight of anything she shouldn’t have seen.

In any case, her father had earned merit, Prince Hui was safe and sound, and this war that had lasted two years was finally about to end!