“I will enshrine Little Nine’s spirit tablet at Ci’en Temple, letting Noble Consort Gui stay there to accompany Little Nine, praying under ancient Buddha with oil lamps for redemption,” Xiao Changqin had already decided how to handle these mother and daughter. “As for Pingling… her husband’s family only needs to fall from grace.”
Pingling Princess had married into a noble family, but their clan lacked talented people. Moreover, with each new emperor came new officials. Regarding his background, he didn’t plan to hide it – he only needed to make it public. As long as he held power in court, no one would dare support Pingling’s husband’s family.
“What about you?” Shen Xihe asked after listening.
Xiao Changqin turned to Shen Xihe and bowed: “This subject has some minor talents and requests to be appointed as Imperial Tutor, with the Empress Dowager’s blessing.”
Shen Xihe was somewhat surprised. She had better arrangements for Xiao Changqin. The capital was a place of heartbreak for him. She had planned to have someone take over the Northwest. Her father was already eager to travel and seek adventure, pursuing justice as he pleased.
Her brother missed her and wanted to return to the capital to be by her side. The Northwest needed someone of exceptional ability, and skilled in both civil and military affairs to maintain stability. As Empress Dowager, if she issued the decree, neither the Northwestern army nor the common people would strongly object.
She never expected Xiao Changqin would want to stay in the capital to become Xiao Junzhu’s teacher.
But this request, Shen Xihe couldn’t refuse. No one was more suitable than Xiao Changqin to be Xiao Junzhu’s teacher – he had studied true imperial arts and had once fought for the throne himself.
“Fifth Brother willing to be Junzhu’s teacher is more than I could ask for,” Shen Xihe readily agreed.
The next day, Xiao Changqin returned to court. Shen Xihe ordered him to lead the Three Departments and Six Ministries in discussing politics. Most memorials were jointly handled by the Three Departments and Six Ministries, with urgent matters beyond their decision-making authority being passed to Xiao Changqin and Xiao Changgeng.
She pondered who would be suitable to take over the Northwest.
You Wenjun came seeking an audience. Shen Xihe received her in the inner chamber of Zichen Hall. You Wenjun wore white robes, with only two silver flower hairpins in her hair and white silk at her temples.
“This concubine wishes to return home and requests the Empress Dowager’s permission,” You Wenjun said directly.
Shen Xihe: “Return home?”
“Yes, before his death, the Prince asked this concubine to return home,” You Wenjun didn’t want to stay here, nor did she want to live in the Lie Prince Manor.
Seeing objects reminded her of someone – someone who never had her in his heart.
Shen Xihe contemplated for a long while before saying: “I allow you to return home. The Shiwei Governor’s Office has always been hereditary to your You family. You may choose to be either Administrative Assistant or Military Officer.”
You Wenjun was so shocked she forgot protocol, staring at Shen Xihe in astonishment.
Shen Xihe was granting her an official position!
“Though you are Lie Prince’s widow, even if you return home, the You family wouldn’t dare force you to remarry. But your martial skills have no outlet,” Shen Xihe spoke unhurriedly, her voice gentle. “Lie Prince advising you to return home must mean he recognized your abilities.”
The You family could make You Wenjun a sacrifice in a political marriage, but naturally, they wouldn’t give her the same opportunities as their sons. Xiao Changying would have known this point. His telling You Wenjun to return home showed he hoped she would have broader horizons to display her abilities.
You Wenjun’s eyes stung. Since childhood, she had trained in martial arts alongside her brothers, enduring more hardships and learning deeper skills, thinking she would be different. But in the end, she couldn’t change her fate, having to come to the capital for her family’s political marriage.
She thought this would be her fate for life, and she had resigned herself to it.
But it turned out that before his death, he had already paved the way for her future.
If she hadn’t mentioned that Xiao Changying’s final wish was for her to return home, Shen Xihe might not have thought to agree, though she wouldn’t have dwelled on it deeply.
Taking a deep breath, You Wenjun suppressed the bitterness in her throat, trying hard to keep her voice from choking up: “This concubine… this subject wishes to be a Military Officer!”
“Are you sure?” Shen Xihe asked.
The difference in rank between Administrative Assistant and Military Officer was vast, as was their authority.
Administrative Assistant represented the court as a supervisor – even the Grand Governor and Vice Protector had to show respect. A Military Officer was considered the lowest-ranking military official. But the difference was that as an Administrative Assistant, You Wenjun would be the court’s person and could never inherit the position of Shiwei Governor.
But if she joined the military as an Officer and climbed up through her abilities, it wasn’t impossible that she might one day inherit the position of Shiwei Governor.
“This subject has made up her mind,” You Wenjun said firmly.
Shen Xihe personally drafted an imperial edict, sealed it with the emperor’s seal, and sent people to escort You Wenjun back to the Shiwei Governor’s Office.
The first year of Yonghe passed peacefully and in order.
In the second year of Yonghe, Cui Jinbai was recalled from the Heishui tribe. The period of national mourning had passed, and Shen Xihe personally arranged his marriage to Bu Shulin, who was now called Bu Shuyao and was the King of Shunan’s younger sister.
In June of the same year, when both their children were already three years old by traditional counting, they finally held their wedding.
The King of Shunan also brought his only son to the capital to attend his sister’s wedding. At the wedding feast, many people saw the two “cousin brothers” Bu Zhan and Cui Zhu, and were struck by how similar they looked. The next day, seeing the new bride of Cui Shiqing, they were even more shocked by how the siblings’ faces seemed cast from the same mold.
From then on, no one doubted that Bu Shuyao was Bu Shulin’s sister.
In the third year of Yonghe, after multiple assessments, Shen Xihe determined who would take over the Northwest – Xiao Changfeng.
That day in the secret passage when Xiao Changfeng was ambushed, it was because his skills were inferior. He hadn’t disobeyed imperial orders. Now with the new emperor’s ascension, his sovereign was Xiao Junzhu. Since Shen Xihe was still willing to employ him, he would naturally continue to serve loyally.
Shen Yingruo also yearned for the place where her father and brother had once been stationed. Even though she knew going there meant missing them, she was still willing to go. It would also mean she wouldn’t have to interact with Shen Yun’an, avoiding their mutual discomfort.
Shen Yun’an and his wife were summoned back to the capital, meeting their four-year-old niece for the first time. By then, Xue Jinqiao was pregnant again.
The sisters-in-law met and were especially close. Xue Jinqiao was still the same cheerful Xue Jinqiao. That night she stayed in Zichen Hall to sleep with Shen Xihe, and the next day Shen Yun’an reluctantly took her back to the palace.
Shen Xihe found three teachers for Xiao Junzhu, all from the younger generation: Xiao Changqin, Xie Yunhuai, and Cui Jinbai.
One taught imperial arts, one lectured on geography and seas, and one spoke of officials and nobles.
Gradually, some rumors spread, saying they were all the Empress Dowager’s favored courtiers. The source of the rumors was hard to trace. Shen Xihe paid no attention, and the six-year-old Xiao Junzhu, who already understood matters, didn’t mind either.
He knew his mother had someone in her heart – that person was his father. She would always stand lost in thought before his father’s portrait. Every time Baisi mentioned Luming, Mother would smile with particular gentleness and beauty.
“Mother, what kind of person was father?” On this day, seeing his mother stop again before the portrait, the six-year-old Xiao Junzhu couldn’t help asking the question long hidden in his heart.
In Xiao Junzhu’s eyes, his mother was the wisest woman in the world, more noble than any woman he had read about in the history books, including their ancestor, that Empress.
What kind of person could make such a mother never forget, think of him obsessively?
Shen Xihe turned and lowered her head to look at her son, who had one hand behind his back, trying hard to appear reliable and mature. She couldn’t help but smile warmly. She crouched down and gently touched his forehead: “Your father…”
Shen Xihe tried hard to find some words of praise to describe Xiao Huayong but found that no words were adequate. After thinking for a long time, she looked at Xiao Junzhu seriously: “Your father, in mother’s heart, is a perfect person.”
There is no pure gold without alloy, no person without flaws.
Xiao Junzhu blinked. Father was perfect in Mother’s heart!
The figure of his father that he imagined became even more towering and grand.
“I want to meet Father.” Xiao Junzhu’s tone was full of reverence and yearning.
Stroking her son’s head, Shen Xihe said: “You will meet him.”
Regarding the news that Xiao Huayong was still alive, Shen Xihe had never hidden it from Xiao Junzhu.
As Xiao Junzhu grew older, he had more to learn and gradually began to engage with state affairs. Occasionally for discussion and teaching by example, Xiao Changqin and Xie Yunhuai would stay overnight in Zichen Hall.
Even though Shen Xihe had moved back to the Eastern Palace after Xiao Junzhu turned five, watching over the flowers and plants Xiao Huayong had planted, there were still people who secretly slandered her. As long as it didn’t affect Xiao Junzhu’s character, Shen Xihe paid no attention.
In the eighth year of Yonghe, this was a year when all officials watched as the powerful Imperial Uncle Xiao Changqin brought an exceptionally handsome young man into the palace, heading straight for the Eastern Palace.
In previous years, there had been those who thought Shen Xihe was too young to be widowed and tried to present beautiful men to her. Often such people would not end well. She didn’t care about those rumors and gossip because some things became more talked about the more taboo they were.
But presenting men to serve her touched her bottom line – at best they would lose their titles and positions, at worst their heads.
This time many people watched Xiao Changqin. It was reported that Xiao Changqin left the man in the Eastern Palace and immediately departed.
At that time, Shen Xihe wasn’t in the Eastern Palace but was in Zichen Hall accompanying Xiao Junzhu at his meal. When Xiao Changqin brought someone to the Eastern Palace requesting to see her, Shen Xihe didn’t pay much attention – such things had happened before.
Since Zhenzhu hadn’t sent anyone to hurry her, it must not be urgent, so she finished accompanying Xiao Junzhu before leading people back to the Eastern Palace.
At the main gate of the Eastern Palace stood two maple trees. It was golden autumn, the season when red leaves blazed like fire. Shen Xihe could faintly see the maple leaves floating like clouds above the Eastern Palace gate from far away as she walked around the long corridor.
It made her think of that year when they first met in the palace – he wore a light white round-necked robe with a large cape, standing on the stone steps, looking up expectantly.
Thinking of this, Shen Xihe’s eyes couldn’t help but curve. Over these years, she had become increasingly dignified, her bearing majestic.
Walking out of the rain corridor onto the stone path before the Eastern Palace gate, her pearl-decorated upturned shoes occasionally stepped on fallen maple leaves. Shen Xihe casually looked up and saw through the dappled tree shadows a tall figure standing with his back to her at the palace gate.
That cape, that black hair, that golden crown, the light white clothes under the cape, that dignified and magnificent stance.
How many times in midnight dreams had she dreamed of such a familiar scene? For a moment she didn’t know if she was in a dream or reality.
She held her breath and slowed her steps, walking over quietly.
He seemed to hear the sound behind him and turned around amid falling maple leaves. Those eyes hiding profound light and gathering silver radiance met hers, and his voice carried threads of grievance just like years ago: “You’ve come back, I thought you weren’t coming back…”
“You’ve come, I thought you weren’t coming.”
Only one word is different from years ago, yet separated by twelve years, a cycle of time.
But she had waited, hadn’t she?
As the sun and moon cycle and times change, unchanging is his original self.