The following afternoon, in the inner palace.

Jiang Zhiyi sat in the lower seat, accepting the teacup offered by the palace servant and holding it in her palm, lowering her eyelashes to look at the hot tea in the cup.

The rising steam swirled like mist before her eyes, obscuring the bottom of the cup.

Yesterday, after returning from Taiqing Temple, she had received a message from her elder sister Xueqing at night, saying that Minister Pei had been summoned to the palace to participate in discussions about the marriage alliance. Most of the important ministers were opposed to it, so Great Ye would likely not agree to the alliance.

After hearing Xueqing’s news, she calmed down from her shock and tossed and turned all night, telling herself not to easily believe that letter.

Before leaving Taiqing Temple yesterday, she had asked about the whereabouts of Master Jianwei, but Daoist Zhang said that Master Jianwei had attempted to alter fate and his lifespan had ended; he had passed away last winter.

Without seeing Master Jianwei in person, with only such a letter claiming resurrection and foreknowledge of future events—such absurdly strange claims—why should she simply accept them?

Besides, that ending didn’t make sense. If she only discovered he wasn’t Shen Yuance after his death, then during the days when she mistakenly believed him to be Shen Yuance, she couldn’t possibly have shown him any kindness. So why would he surrender to someone like her?

What if this letter was someone’s attempt to sow discord and make her lose her composure?

The Emperor had summoned her to the palace but had not yet expressed his position. Since she had received information in advance, she had time to prepare her words. This was still her opportunity to maneuver.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Xingwu appeared unwell, his face yellowed, his brow furrowed with worry. Since she entered the hall, he had kept his eyes closed with his hand on his forehead. After a while, he finally rubbed his temples and spoke: “Do you know why Imperial Uncle has summoned you to the palace?”

Jiang Zhiyi suppressed her anxiety and raised her eyes: “Zhiyi has heard.”

The Emperor had received a proposal from Xilu two days ago. The important ministers had gotten the news first yesterday, and this morning at court, the matter was officially brought up for discussion by the Ministry of Rites, so everyone knew about it now. This saved her from having to act surprised.

Emperor Xingwu opened his eyes and looked at her, seemingly surprised by her calmness: “Your Imperial Uncle is worried here, yet you seem calm and unhurried. Aren’t you concerned at all?”

“What should I be concerned about? Imperial Uncle will protect me. You would never agree to their request!” Jiang Zhiyi raised her chin.

Emperor Xingwu narrowed his eyes: “So you know our mind?”

“Of course! Just half a year ago in this very hall, when I wanted to go to Hexi with General Shen, Imperial Uncle wouldn’t allow it. You said I was born and raised in Chang’an, and asked how I could get used to living in Hexi. Xilu is even farther than Hexi, with an even colder and drier climate. Imperial Uncle couldn’t possibly bear to send me there, let alone marry me off to someone older than my father!”

“…But Zhiyi has indeed caused trouble for Imperial Uncle,” Jiang Zhiyi sighed, “Now Imperial Uncle must explain to the Xilu people that I am already betrothed and about to be married.”

The palace servant behind the Emperor tensed.

For an unmarried young lady to be so preemptive before the Emperor showed remarkable wisdom and courage, but unfortunately—

Emperor Xingwu stared at Jiang Zhiyi for a moment, then looked away with a long sigh: “Yes, of course, Imperial Uncle cannot bear to part with you. Besides, how could we send a betrothed princess for a marriage alliance? But if we refuse Xilu because you are already betrothed, it implies that Great Ye is not unwilling to ally through marriage, just that this candidate is unsuitable. If the Xilu people then propose to marry another unbetrothed princess, such as your sister Princess Baojia, I would have no reason to refuse… What should we do then?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s hand trembled beneath her sleeve.

“If I refuse again, it would be making excuses upon excuses, damaging our nation’s prestige, and making Xilu feel that Great Ye is deliberately toying with them. War could break out between our nations. You have experienced much in Xiangyang, so you should understand my concerns. The Xuance Army has just endured years of northern battles and has only recently quelled the rebellion. I truly cannot bear to see them return to the battlefield and make more sacrifices. Peace is precious—isn’t everyone’s life valuable?”

The arguments Jiang Zhiyi had prepared seemed stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t speak another word.

“I am your Imperial Uncle, but I am also the father and mother of all under heaven. When Princess Deqing married into Xilu years ago, peace between our nations lasted for more than a decade. If I become the sinner who breaks that peace, I would be unable to face my subjects. Yet if I simply send you away, I cannot face your father or the Shen family,” Emperor Xingwu rubbed his brow wearily. “Perhaps I’ve grown old and useless, unable to find a solution that satisfies both sides. Zhiyi, you’ve always been clever. Can you help your Imperial Uncle resolve this worry?”

…Of course, there was a solution that satisfied both sides: she should not make her Imperial Uncle the villain by asking this of her. She should voluntarily agree to the marriage alliance, showing her understanding by relieving the Emperor’s burden and solving the nation’s difficulties. This way, her Imperial Uncle would not have to face criticism from his subjects and officials.

Jiang Zhiyi looked again at the now-cold tea in her palm. With the mist dispersed, the Emperor’s intentions were crystal clear.

“Well, let Imperial Uncle think about it more, and you think about it too. You may go now.” Emperor Xingwu waved his hand.

Jiang Zhiyi set down her teacup, rose to bow, and left without a word.

Inside the hall, Emperor Xingwu watched Jiang Zhiyi’s retreating figure until she disappeared at the end of the corridor, then shook his head with a sigh: “A girl I’ve watched grow up… how could I want her to take this path? But this is the path she chose herself…”

The palace servant poured a cup of tea for Emperor Xingwu: “Your Majesty is in a difficult position. The Princess will surely understand Your Majesty’s good intentions after she returns home.”

“What good intentions?” A cold, mocking female voice suddenly sounded from outside the hall.

The palace servant startled, about to scold the doorkeepers, but looking up to see Princess Baojia and the troubled faces of the guards behind her, he immediately fell silent.

Emperor Xingwu waved to dismiss the guards and raised his eyes to look at Baojia.

Baojia stepped over the threshold into the hall: “Father’s good intentions are to use her sister’s future, the lives of the Xuance Army, and Princess Deqing’s sacrifice to coerce her?”

“Father’s good intentions are to decide to sacrifice her, yet still make her voluntarily express her willingness to the world, to silence those who might criticize your decision?”

“With such good intentions, I wonder if the Duke of Ningguo, were his spirit aware, would regret protecting you back to the capital! I wonder if you ever feel troubled by your conscience in the middle of the night!”

Emperor Xingwu stared at Baojia with a livid face, his chest heaving as he began to cough. The palace servant turned pale with fright, patting the Emperor’s back while desperately signaling to Baojia with his eyes.

“…I seek peace for the realm and value the lives of border soldiers. What wrong have I done? Why should my conscience trouble me?”

Baojia laughed as if she’d heard a joke: “Are you truly valuing the border soldiers’ lives, or are you afraid that your general, who first defeated the Northern Xia, then pacified Eastern He, might become too powerful if he conquers Xilu as well? Hexi has the strength to fight. The Xuance Army has never feared battle—it is you who are afraid. You fear that once this war is fought, the world will only recognize the Shen family and no longer recognize you!”

With a crash, a teacup shattered at Baojia’s feet.

Baojia slowly lowered her head, looking at the hot tea splashed on her skirt, her lips trembling slightly.

The palace servant anxiously said: “His Majesty’s wounds from suppressing the rebellion have not yet healed. Princess, please mind your words—”

Emperor Xingwu gasped for breath repeatedly, pointing at Baojia: “…Sitting in this position, I have things I must do. When I was wary of Eastern He, they indeed rebelled. Was I wrong? If I had not been cautious, would you still have the chance to stand here and lecture your father? Since you understand that I am guarding against Western He, do you dare say the Shen family never harbored the slightest rebellious thought? If the Shen family truly has a clear conscience, it’s just a fiancée—what’s wrong with letting her go to serve the country loyally? If he agrees, afterward I could reward him with ten or a hundred new fiancées!”

Baojia took a deep breath and nodded.

Eight years ago, she had knelt here day and night begging her father to spare the Li family, and her father had also said—it’s just a husband, I’ll find you a better one.

She should have understood that in her father’s eyes, all affection was worthless, all loved ones replaceable.

“Whether they have clear consciences, I do not know. But it’s better than you having no heart at all… I hear Father has nightmares every night, always waking up thinking rebels are nearby. I wish Father truly can exchange the safety of a loyal minister’s daughter, a loyal minister’s wife, for your peaceful sleep!”

At dusk in Yaoguang Pavilion, Jiang Zhiyi looked at Shen’s stepmother, who had arrived late at night, and asked Jing Zhe to serve her hot tea.

In the past, Jiang Zhiyi only knew that Shen’s stepmother was the younger sister of the original Madam Yuan. Everyone called her Little Madam Yuan, assuming that perhaps the sisters looked alike, and after Madam Yuan passed away, General Shen married her sister as his second wife.

It wasn’t until her time in Hexi that she learned Little Madam Yuan had known from the beginning about her sister giving birth to twins. After her sister died, if General Shen didn’t remarry, the children would have no mother, but if he found a girl from another family, they feared the secret of the twins would be exposed. Little Madam Yuan, to put her sister’s soul at ease and for the sake of the children her sister left behind, married into the Shen family.

However, until General Shen died in battle, Little Madam Yuan had no children of her own. Jiang Zhiyi guessed it might be because Little Madam Yuan had not come to be Shen’s wife, but rather an ally to the family. Or perhaps both Little Madam Yuan and General Shen, in his lifetime, had developed fears about childbearing.

Little Madam Yuan accepted the hot tea, worried: “In the Princess’s view, is there any chance of changing His Majesty’s mind?”

Jiang Zhiyi pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head.

“The palace has asked for my opinion as well. I did not presume to answer, but I fear His Majesty has already sent imperial envoys to test A-Ce. I worry—”

Jiang Zhiyi stared vacantly toward the northwest outside the window: “You worry he will defy imperial orders.”

Little Madam Yuan closed her eyes briefly: “His Majesty is testing A-Ce to see if he harbors disloyal thoughts. It was the General who harmed A-Ce…”

Jiang Zhiyi started, pulling her gaze back from the distance: “What do you mean by that, Madam?”

“This matter now depends entirely on the Princess’s decision, so I shall tell you everything… In truth, the General had indeed been accumulating power for rebellion for many years. His Majesty’s wariness of Hexi was not without cause, but A-Ce is innocent…” Little Madam Yuan’s eyes filled with tears. “The General had high hopes for A-Ce, hoping he could accomplish what he could not. I once advised the General that the child’s life was already bitter enough, and even if he couldn’t come into the light, a peaceful, ordinary life would be better than navigating perilous situations, but the General said this was his duty as a son of the Shen family.”

Jiang Zhiyi’s face paled.

“When the General returned to the capital during New Year’s before his death, he told me he increasingly felt his strength failing on the battlefield. Perhaps because his intentions had gone astray, he could no longer command victories with ease as before. I became increasingly worried about the child at the border… In the past, the General was such a formidable warrior, yet years immersed in hatred consumed him to this state. What of the child who grew up in hatred?”

Jiang Zhiyi lowered her head, slowly covering her face.

In the deathly silence of the room, Jiang Zhiyi and Little Madam Yuan both silently held back their tears.

After a while, Little Madam Yuan took out a decree from her sleeve: “There is another matter I previously concealed from the Princess. A-Ce did not want me to tell you, but now that it has come to this…”

Jiang Zhiyi raised her eyes, her heart skipping a beat: “This is…?”

“The decree you saw when you became betrothed to A-Ce was a forgery he commissioned. This is the real decree.”

Jiang Zhiyi took the decree presented by Jing Zhe, staring at the words “Great Misfortune” written on it, feeling dizzy.

At night, the autumn wind whistled, the water clock dripped steadily, and Jiang Zhiyi sat alone by the window, looking at the yellowing ginkgo outside, as if quietly waiting for something.

A cool breeze suddenly rose, sending ginkgo leaves spinning gently down to fall into the mud.

In the silent autumn night, steady footsteps suddenly sounded on the corridor, approaching step by step.

Jiang Zhiyi straightened up, looking out at the man Jing Zhe had brought.

Qi Yan wore a black cloak, his tall figure almost merging with the night. His phoenix eyes looked over with majestic dignity, his every gesture truly embodying the bearing of a future emperor.

Jiang Zhiyi gazed at him from afar for a moment, then came to her senses and rose to approach him: “I was presumptuous to write asking Your Highness to meet me. Thank you for coming.”

Qi Yan lowered his eyes to look at the person standing in the light, saw her reddened eyes, and after a pause, shook his head: “Even if you hadn’t written, I would have come to find you.”

Jiang Zhiyi gestured him inside: “Has Your Highness—”

Qi Yan removed his cloak and sat down at the long table: “Don’t worry. If I couldn’t conceal even this much of my movements, how could I have survived in Chang’an until today?”

Jiang Zhiyi sat across from him and nodded.

She wanted to see Qi Yan, but didn’t dare recklessly visit the Prince’s residence at such a crucial moment, since she didn’t know how to hide her movements. So she decided to ask Qi Yan to come to her, sending a message through her sister Baojia at dusk.

Jiang Zhiyi signaled Jing Zhe to bring tea, then asked: “Your Highness just said you would have come to find me anyway. Do you have something to tell me?”

Qi Yan nodded: “Regarding the marriage alliance, you need not heed Father Emperor’s words about considering it your mission to maintain peace.”

Jiang Zhiyi lowered her eyes.

She admitted that when Emperor Xingwu spoke of not wanting the Xuance Army to sacrifice any more, images of those one hundred and one faces flashed through her mind. In that moment, she felt the Emperor’s words seemed right.

“You probably don’t know that before Aunt Deqing went for her marriage alliance, she recited a line of poetry.”

“What poem?”

“‘Sending this humble one to secure the country, not knowing where to use a general.'”

Jiang Zhiyi was slightly startled.

“Peace obtained through marriage alliances is ultimately short-lived. Moreover, this matter is Xilu’s scheme to divide our Great Ye. If their Second Prince has such wild ambitions, even if you marry him, how long can this peace last? Since war is inevitable sooner or later, why should you sacrifice yourself in vain?” Qi Yan spoke calmly, but his brows were furrowed.

“During Grandfather Emperor’s reign, we constantly retreated, and Great Ye truly had no strength to fight. We could only rely on marriage alliances for survival. Father Emperor then thought, if he ever ascended to power, he would revitalize our military strength so Great Ye would never again suffer such humiliation. The Duke of Ningguo supported him wholeheartedly because of this ambition. Father Emperor chose ‘Xingwu’ (Reviving Military) as his reign title, and he did indeed strengthen Great Ye’s military power over the years, but this also created problems, allowing Eastern He to amass troops and harbor disloyal thoughts. After this war, Father Emperor has grown increasingly suspicious, now having nightmares every night. His judgment may no longer be clear.”

“And what about Your Highness? Do you trust Hexi? Do you trust General Shen?”

Qi Yan nodded: “He missed the best opportunity. Since he did not move his troops at that time, I believe he has made his choice.”

“But today, His Majesty is still Great Ye’s Emperor,” Jiang Zhiyi asked chokingly, “If imperial trust is lacking, what can I do?”

“Even the Emperor cannot go against the tide. If you trust me, I will lead the court officials to remonstrate and do my best to try.”

Jiang Zhiyi smiled bitterly: “Even if Your Highness can protect me, can you protect General Shen? The more the court officials oppose the marriage alliance, the more His Majesty will suspect Hexi. If His Majesty is determined to move against General Shen, what then?”

Qi Yan had no immediate answer.

Jiang Zhiyi slowly took a breath: “Your Highness, if one day you ascend to the throne and choose a reign title, what would it be?”

Qi Yan hesitated slightly: “…Why do you suddenly ask this?”

“I know this question overreaches, but it’s important to me. I hope Your Highness will answer honestly.”

After hearing her sister Xueqing’s news last night, she thought the marriage alliance might not reach a dead end and still held out hope.

But today, first the Emperor had made up his mind, possibly already sending imperial envoys to test Yuance—if Yuance refused, he might be charged with defiance as Master Jianwei’s letter had said.

Then Shen’s wife revealed that the Shen family had been accumulating power for rebellion for years, meaning the Xuance Army truly would march east at a single command.

Finally, there was the “Great Misfortune” decree—she had specifically asked Madam Shen if the decree came from Taiqing Temple, but Madam Shen said Daoist Zhang was Master Jianwei’s disciple, and she didn’t go there for divination, but to another temple instead.

Another temple still gave the same divination, and now various circumstances seemed to be moving toward the ending described in the letter. What hope could she still cling to?

Her last hope lay in Qi Yan’s forthcoming answer. That’s why she had to ask this question tonight.

Jiang Zhiyi fixed her gaze intently on the person across from her.

After deep thought, Qi Yan looked at her quietly and said two words: “Yongning.”

—The Fourth Prince ascended the throne and established the reign title “Yongning.”

The handwriting from the letter seemed to reappear before her eyes.

Jiang Zhiyi’s heart completely sank to the bottom, her limbs instantly turning cold, a chill running down her back.

Daoist Zhang had not deceived her, nor had Master Jianwei. That seemingly contradictory ending, those absurdly strange events—they were the truth.

Even though Master Jianwei had exhausted his lifespan and tried everything possible to change things, in the end, it seemed they were still heading down that path.

In this moment, she seemed to see the seasons passing at Taiqing Temple, saw herself spending many lonely, hopeless years there.

After Yuance’s death, she hadn’t followed him but had imprisoned herself there for so many years—was she punishing herself?

If such punishment were to come a second time…

Jiang Zhiyi closed her eyes. Since in that ending she fell into Emperor Xingwu’s hands, perhaps only by leaving Chang’an could she avoid repeating the same mistakes.

“Your Highness is willing to do everything for me, and I’m grateful. But even if I stay and don’t go for the marriage alliance, Chang’an will become my prison. Your Highness, I don’t want to be the one who stays anymore. I want to leave this place. I want freedom…”

Qi Yan’s hand on the table gradually tightened: “You want to leave now—”

Jiang Zhiyi opened her eyes, threw back her head, and smiled: “If I want to leave now, the only way is to agree to the marriage alliance, put on a wedding dress, and walk out openly and gloriously from Vermilion Bird Avenue.”