He had never thought of replacing Qi Jingchen’s place in her heart, nor had he ever considered where things between them would ultimately lead. But after all, the years they had spent together were real, and he had indeed believed she would gradually let go of her impossible obsession with that person and slowly come to accept him.

But Qi Jingchen had come. Just this news alone had thrown her into complete disarray, taking away all the peace she had found over these five years. And even though he wouldn’t see her, she remained infatuated, falling gravely ill because of it. Perhaps during her illness she had been trapped in nightmares, thus remembering again the past events in Jiangzuo. Upon awakening from this dream, she had returned to calling him “General,” and at first she couldn’t even recognize him, regarding him entirely as a stranger.

…Five years of time, did they really amount to less than one dream you shared with him?

Gu Juhan smiled self-mockingly in his heart, though his expression revealed nothing. He still looked at her gently and answered: “No, he’s at the Envoy’s Guest House. How could he come here?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiling’s expression remained dazed, but she slowly nodded.

Indeed, he wouldn’t come.

He was the Great Liang’s envoy. How could he visit the Great Wei Duke Yanguo’s mansion? It wouldn’t conform to protocol or reason. She had been delusional.

The Envoy’s Guest House…

Come to think of it, she had been there too, had stayed in his room. She wondered if there had been any changes there… Was he still living in that same room from years ago?

Her thoughts wandered far, and a heavy emotion welled up in her heart. She struggled to dispel these feelings and asked Gu Juhan again: “How long did I sleep…?”

She remembered that Lady Zhong’s tea gathering was in late March, and in early April, Emperor Wei would wed Xiao Ziyu. By then he would leave Shangjing, and she would truly never see him again.

Actually, after the tea gathering, she had already given up the thought of seeing him once more. After all, his attitude had been so resolute. They had been separated for five years—perhaps he no longer loved her so deeply, perhaps he had already forgotten her, perhaps he no longer wanted any entanglements with people and affairs from the past… All were possible.

But this great dream during her illness had been far too vivid, so much so that even now she still felt all their entanglements had happened just yesterday, that they had never truly been separated, and that she was still the person who understood him best—he wouldn’t abandon her; he must have his difficulties.

She still remembered that before her marriage, he had promised to come see her after five years, and now he had indeed come. Was this coincidence? Or had he done it intentionally?

Actually, it didn’t matter. If it was the former, she would take it as their destined fate; if the latter, then he still couldn’t bear to part with her.

Regardless of which it was, either would be sufficient reason for her to continue seeking him out.

The determined look in her eyes was very clear, and Gu Juhan could see it plainly. He knew she still planned to find that person, and his heart inevitably sighed more deeply. Yet he also vaguely felt this was for the best—compared to her being melancholy and depressed, compared to her falling ill, he would rather she go find him.

So he said: “Five or six days. Today is the twenty-seventh.”

He helped pull her blanket up higher, then added: “Don’t be anxious. Rest well and recover your health. You can go see him on the Buddha Bathing Festival.”

He completely understood what she was thinking and was even making plans for her. Upon hearing that the Buddha Bathing Festival on the eighth day of the fourth month had not yet passed, Shen Xiling immediately breathed a long sigh of relief, repeatedly saying: “That’s good, that’s good…”

As if a great burden had been lifted from her heart.

Seeing her like this, Gu Juhan felt conflicted emotions, yet he knew that at this moment she had no energy to spare for his feelings. She was still ill and still immersed in that dream that had made her weep.

He personally went out to have the maids bring in the medicine. He had originally planned to feed it to her himself, but upon brief consideration, felt this action might be overstepping and might displease her, so he had Lian Zi do it instead. After watching her drink all the black medicinal brew prescribed by the Imperial Physicians, he sat down beside her bed again, gently helping her lie back down to rest.

He said: “After taking the medicine, sleep a while longer. Don’t worry about anything, just rest well.”

Shen Xiling looked at Gu Juhan and nodded, then watched him leave her room. Lian Zi and Wan Zhu both bowed to see him off, then returned to lower her bed curtains and block the light so she could rest properly.

But Shen Xiling stopped them.

Her eyes were very clear, even containing a somewhat profound gleam.

She slowly sat up in bed, then instructed Lian Zi: “Go ask Master Gong to come see me.”

News of Duke Yanguo’s wife’s recovery quickly reached the Wei palace, where Emperor Wei was admiring flowers in the imperial garden with the Great Liang princess and vice-envoy Han Feichi.

It was now late March. In Jiangzuo this would naturally be the time of brilliant spring flowers, when the pink cherry blossoms on the back mountains of Qingji Mountain should be blooming everywhere, but Shangjing still had some spring chill. What bloomed most abundantly in the imperial garden were elm-leaf plums, which though inevitably somewhat lonely, had their own unique charm.

Emperor Wei heard the report of Duke Yanguo’s wife’s recovery and awakening, and was quite pleased. He ordered rewards for the Imperial Physicians who had gone to examine her at the Duke’s mansion. After the messenger withdrew, he smiled and said to the Great Liang princess: “Now is precisely the time when warmth alternates with cold, making it easiest to catch wind-cold. Princess, having traveled far to Shangjing, you may not be accustomed to the northern climate’s changes in temperature. You must take good care of your precious health.”

Emperor Wei, Gao Mian, was already past forty this year. Though well-maintained and not corpulent, he was still more than a full cycle of years older than the twenty-six-year-old Xiao Ziyu. His caring words were certainly very considerate, but they also made Xiao Ziyu feel somewhat uncomfortable and contemptuous.

Old fool, what familiarity are you trying to establish with me?

If this had been many years ago, Great Liang’s Sixth Princess had always been one to laugh, curse, or rage entirely according to her mood. Except for having no principles when it came to her beloved, she was willful and pampered with everyone else. If someone she disliked offered her any attentions, she would certainly give them no face without mincing words.

But now times had changed. She was marrying far from home to another country, with no father or brothers to support her. In the future, she would have to endure long decades in this Wei palace. She couldn’t offend Gao Mian, and in fact… she had to find ways to make him like her.

Xiao Ziyu didn’t show displeasure, only smiled at Gao Mian. These past few years she perhaps hadn’t lived very contentedly, not as charming as in her maiden days, but those peach blossom eyes were still very beautiful, now carrying a somewhat seductive flavor.

She said: “Your Majesty’s concern troubles you. Everything here is very good.”

This gentle and compliant manner greatly pleased Emperor Wei.

In his life he most doted on Empress Zou, having favored her for over twenty years. Even now, not one woman in this Wei palace could challenge the Empress’s position.

But this didn’t mean Gao Mian didn’t like fresh young things.

Though Xiao Ziyu was twenty-six, which couldn’t be called very young, her appearance was still beautiful enough to move him. Moreover, she was Great Liang’s princess, and everything from Jiangzuo symbolized elegance and nobility. Being able to share tender moments with a princess from there was truly one of life’s great pleasures.

Emperor Wei became interested and intended to chat with her more, so he began discussing details of their wedding arrangements. Coincidentally, Great Liang’s vice-envoy and Wei officials from the Ministry of Rites were also accompanying them nearby, so they could join the conversation.

Gao Mian held Great Liang’s vice-envoy in considerable regard, having heard he was the legitimate son of the Han family of Jiangzuo, who could be counted as kin to the current Liang Emperor’s maternal relatives. The changing political situation in Jiangzuo had been quite frequent in recent years, which the nobles in Shangjing had heard about. Gao Mian especially understood that the current Han family was incomparably different from before.

Ten years ago, when Great Liang’s Shen family fell overnight, it had already caused great changes in the power structure among Jiangzuo’s noble families. Five years ago, the Qi family had encountered setbacks when the current Left Chancellor and his son, Right Assistant Director of the Imperial Secretariat, were both dismissed from office after being implicated in major land cases. The Qi family had been devastated ever since. If not for their capable second son stemming the tide when all seemed lost, they would truly have turned to dust like the Shen family of years past.

Speaking of which, that Qi Jingchen was truly remarkable. Currently he could be said to single-handedly maintain his family’s position. It was said his father no longer managed affairs, and his elder brother, having experienced such events, had developed thoughts of entering Buddhist orders—it was heard he had even taken vows, though it was unknown whether he had been persuaded by family to return. His third brother was even more useless, and only his fourth brother had some promise, now also in government service, though his official position wasn’t high. He probably couldn’t help his elder brother much and was merely a figurehead.

This Qi Jingchen not only had to look after his family but also had to engage in scheming and intrigue with the Han and Fu families. He truly shouldered all responsibilities alone, working extremely hard. It was said he still held concurrent duties at the Privy Council, and the Liang Emperor had promoted him to fill his father’s vacancy as Left Chancellor. But what use was this? Any discerning person could see the Qi family’s influence was waning. No matter how much favor Qi Jingchen received, it was merely the afterglow of a setting sun.

Now, the true premier noble family of Jiangzuo should belong to the Han family, the Emperor’s maternal relatives.

This family’s power was very real. Though the head, Han Shousong, hadn’t achieved anything particularly significant, his brother Han Shouye controlled three hundred thousand troops, and his protégé Zhao Qinghan held authority over Jiankang’s garrison—truly wielding overwhelming influence. After the Qi family’s decline, the Han family had quietly devoured the forces that had originally depended on the Qi family, thus expanding even further. Now nearly half of Great Liang’s court belonged to the Han faction, with the remainder either affiliated with the Fu family or being lesser officials who depended on Qi Jingchen.

The Han family was truly at the height of their glory.

As for this legitimate Han son, Han Feichi, there was quite a story to tell.

It was said this man had been known as a child prodigy in his youth, but later became dissolute and became a famous dandy in Jiankang City. He even had the infamous record of submitting blank papers at provincial examinations, once causing his family elders great headaches. But fortune turned—somehow he suddenly came to his senses and developed aspirations for government service. When special examinations were held in the second year of Jiahe, he passed as a recommended scholar, and the following spring he even achieved the top position at the metropolitan examinations, making his father and brothers overjoyed.

He had always been talented, and now with this legendary tale of a prodigal son reforming attached to his name, his reputation became even more remarkable. With the Han family’s support from behind, he quickly rose through the court ranks. He was now one of the six Ministers, and officials in Great Liang’s court all speculated he would soon be promoted to Assistant Director.

This Master Han might eventually replace the current Qi Jingchen as the next powerful minister of Jiangzuo. Emperor Wei naturally regarded him highly, and now smiled at him saying: “Vice-envoy Han has traveled far to Shangjing. Feel free to look around. Leave the wedding arrangements to our Ministry of Rites—we certainly won’t treat the princess poorly.”

Han Feichi bowed respectfully to Emperor Wei, showing none of his youthful dissolute and unrestrained manner, appearing very earnest and thorough as he said: “The marriage alliance between our two nations is of utmost importance. This humble minister dares not be negligent.”

Emperor Wei waved his hand to excuse the formalities, then sighed: “The vice-envoy works so hard, which is also because Jingchen caught wind-cold—how is he feeling lately? Should I send imperial physicians to examine him?”

Author’s Note: Han Feichi, the exemplar of fan devotion [His idol was the second-place scholar, and after chasing him for several years, he himself became the top scholar. “Following my idol made me a better person.”]