Just like when Emperor Yuanzhen passed away and the feudal princes were not permitted to enter the capital for mourning, this time when the Empress Mother died, there was still no special permission granted.
Those in the power center all knew that the more the court and country were shaken, the less the various princes could be allowed to come and go freely. The Nine Gates needed to strengthen their defenses, and the armies around the capital had to be deployed like an active chess game. Ordering the feudal princes to guard their territories to prevent changes was actually not guarding against others, but precisely against these border-commanding princes and marquises.
Upon learning of Yin Luo’s death, Wanwan cried heartbrokenly in her room. At such a time, she had no mind to consider anything else. No matter what, this person was truly gone forever, and all the past had been burned clean by a great fire, leaving nothing behind. What made her even more heartbroken was that the obituary notice didn’t mention summoning Prince Nanyuan to the capital, meaning she couldn’t return to pay her respects either, because once married, she must follow her husband – even a Grand Princess had to abide by this.
Losing a dear friend was one grief, but being abandoned by her family made her even sadder. It seemed that Second Brother had sent her to Nanyuan with no intention of ever acknowledging her again. She was now a member of the Yuwen family, like a gecko’s severed tail – it wouldn’t greatly harm the main body, at most causing a moment of pain before growing back.
Xiao You and Tonghuan kept trying to console her, but it had no effect at all. They didn’t understand that she was crying for Yin Luo, but also for herself. Sometimes she felt useless – useless her whole life. What was an empty princess title worth? Now Yin Luo’s life was over, but as for herself, she didn’t know how much longer she’d have to endure.
Tonghuan was at her wit’s end and went to the Nanyuan government office to ask the Prince to come to the Grand Princess’s residence and think of a solution. When Yuwen Liangshi received the news, he dropped everything he was doing and rushed to her bedchamber, where he found her with disheveled hair and eyes red and swollen from crying. Alarmed, he quickly dismissed everyone around and fetched a hot towel to wipe her face.
She pushed him away forcefully, not wanting him near – it was all his fault that she could never return to the capital now.
He felt helpless, his body stiffening as she pushed him against the door. He grabbed the door frame with one hand and stayed within the threshold, refusing to go out no matter what.
“Don’t be like this. I know you’re heartbroken, but you must also take care of your health. People face unexpected fortune and misfortune – who can predict what the future holds? So cherish those before you… Look at me, I came here especially to wipe your face.”
Wanwan didn’t appreciate his gesture at all. “I don’t want your false kindness. I want to return to the capital. I want to go back and see Yin Luo – whether that person is really her, how she could die so suddenly when everything was fine.”
She cried as she spoke, having lost all dignity of a Grand Princess and now just being a child.
He understood her anguish. Empress Bu had been her only close friend – the two ate together, played together, and sometimes even lived together. Their relationship was extraordinary. The ancestors valued a peaceful death, and someone burned by fierce flames until their nose and eyes couldn’t be distinguished was essentially the same as dying without an intact corpse. So Empress Bu’s death was filled with tragic color. Because of him, she couldn’t accompany her close friend on her final journey, so her resentment toward him was reasonable.
He could only continuously comfort her. “The Empress has passed away, and you wanting to offer her a stick of incense is naturally human feeling. If you insist on returning to the capital, it’s not that I can’t take you, but the journey is long and distant. By the time we arrive, the coffin will probably already be in the shrine hall. Moreover, with my current status, although my movements aren’t restricted, I still depend on the Emperor’s vast grace. I ultimately bear the title of feudal prince, and violating the edict ordering princes to firmly guard their territories – if this angers His Majesty, it would be a catastrophe. Please consider carefully, Your Highness – is it truly necessary to take this risk? One stick of incense destroying the entire Yuwen clan – how could you bear it?”
Wanwan wasn’t confused. No matter how dissatisfied she was, she couldn’t do such an absurd thing. She was just feeling stifled and unable to find relief. When he came, he happened to provide an outlet for her frustration, because ultimately her feelings couldn’t be calmed.
She stood there with hanging hands, calming down after a long while, rolling up her sleeves to wipe her face. “I lost my composure and made a scene, frightening those around me and making the Prince laugh at me.”
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and wrung out a fresh towel to hand to her. “Don’t say that – who hasn’t had moments when emotions couldn’t be controlled! But I must advise you – regarding the people and affairs from your boudoir days, look upon them more lightly. Marriage is like being reborn again. What you hold in your hands now is truly yours.”
She nodded sadly and murmured, “She just left like this, leaving behind affairs to be settled.”
Regarding these so-called affairs, the first thing that worried him was that with Xiao Duo now alone, would her feelings for him be rekindled? He had already secretly ordered Fifth Brother to rush to the capital. If Bu Yin Luo had faked her death, Xiao Duo would naturally flee with her before long, so his temporary existence wouldn’t be cause for fear. But if Bu Yin Luo had truly died, and this fake eunuch turned back to pursue Wanwan, then he couldn’t be allowed to remain and must be dealt with early to cut off her thoughts.
He pursed his lips in consideration. “Has Your Highness thought that perhaps Empress Bu is still alive? Director Xiao is no ordinary person – he definitely wouldn’t let her go mad or let her die.”
Wanwan looked up – strange, he had thought of the same thing she had. Xiao Duo was a capable person. Having reached that point with Yin Luo, how could he sit by and watch her be confined to the corner tower? So coincidentally, not long after house arrest, there was a fire that burned even faces beyond recognition – there must be deception involved. But she was also afraid it might be true. Such speculation on her part seemed too cold and heartless, so she habitually thought pessimistically, considering everything from the worst angle.
As for him, naturally regardless of the facts, he wanted her to believe Bu Yin Luo was still alive. Thinking carefully about it, it was truly somewhat pitiful – his own woman thinking about another man, and he didn’t even dare expose it or question her, only able to respond with such passive methods.
He took a couple of breaths to adjust his emotions and stood to the side. “Crying like this, only to discover in the end it was false – how unworthy! There’s another matter – them deceiving His Majesty like this, isn’t it going too far? I know Your Highness received much care from Director Xiao when you were in the palace, but everything has degrees of closeness. Him toying with the ruler of a nation in his palm – such behavior is truly because the Ceremonial Directorate’s power is too great.”
Wanwan sniffled, also considering in her heart. Speaking of Xiao Duo’s power manipulation, she had known this long ago. A person holding the power of document approval would inevitably have expanding desires, so outsiders had given him the nickname “Standing Emperor.” His single-handed control of the sky couldn’t be written off just because he had cared for her in many ways.
But now they were discussing Yin Luo’s death – why bring up Xiao Duo again!
“Saying the Empress is still alive is just our speculation – what proof do we have? At this juncture, don’t involve those matters. Isn’t there enough chaos already!”
So she was still protecting Xiao Duo after all – anyone with eyes could see it. He felt somewhat dejected and remained silent before saying, “There’s no need for condolences regarding the Empress. The trivial matters under my jurisdiction still need to be handled as usual. Tomorrow I must depart for Huaining. Your Highness is excessively grieved – please rest at the residence.”
But she said no. “I’ll go with you. I’m just afraid you’ll find me burdensome and troublesome.”
He smiled slightly. “I said long ago I wanted to take you traveling to see mountains and waters, but then we encountered the plum rain season and the river dikes burst. Being delayed there for over ten days. If you want to go to Huaining with me, that place is filled with disaster victims – it’s not a comfortable, pleasant destination. We’re traveling light with few attendants. I fear Your Highness will find it difficult to adapt and end up returning disappointed.”
But she seemed very determined. “I’m not going to sightsee – why would I expect comfort everywhere? You say we can’t bring many people – I’ll just go with you alone. I have hands and feet and don’t need to be served.”
Hearing this, he clapped his hands. “Good! You have the backbone of our Yuwen family!”
She became somewhat bashful and turned away, picking all the branches off a pine bonsai until they were bare.
Since she didn’t object, did that mean she acknowledged being part of the Yuwen family? He was greatly encouraged. Although the prospects weren’t yet clear, at least she had this intention, so future matters would be easier to handle. The eight characters hadn’t even been written yet, but he was already secretly planning. Unfortunately, the next period was national mourning – no pregnancies were permitted within a year. Otherwise, by the end of next year, there should be his first son…
No rush, no rush – they could take it step by step. He assumed a thoughtful expression. “We must travel early tomorrow morning. I won’t return tonight to avoid the back-and-forth journey.”
Wanwan looked at him sideways with drooping mouth corners. His face was perfectly open and honest, but he still felt guilty under her gaze and touched his forehead before adding, “I have a villa in Songjiang Prefecture. The fields and property there are all ready-made, but the house has been empty too long without residents and lacks proper care. Earlier I was busy with the wedding and truly had no time to attend to it, but later I sent people to renovate it completely. I’ll send the three secondary consorts there shortly.”
Wanwan’s expression was indifferent. He had mentioned sending them away before, so she wasn’t surprised now. According to proper rules, a prince consort must clear out all the women in his household before marrying a princess, and unless the princess permitted it, the consort wasn’t allowed to have concubines. But marrying him had been an accident to begin with. After all, he already had two young masters, so dealing with those secondary consorts was difficult – the children’s feelings had to be considered.
She had always been good-natured and didn’t want to force anyone into difficult positions. But yesterday’s dream at the Prince’s residence had left her uncomfortable until now. If she wasn’t prepared to live properly with him, she wouldn’t care if he kept ten concubines. But once she accepted her fate, she had to consider more for herself. If he lived at the Prince’s residence, he’d inevitably encounter those women, then there’d be matters of wives and children – what would that amount to!
So this time she didn’t intend to pretend to be magnanimous. She hummed agreement and said, “Send more people then. Songjiang Prefecture is quite a distance from Nanjing. If anything is lacking or needed, there should be people to run errands.”
Both were accustomed to showing no joy or anger regarding emotional matters. When discussing things related to each other, they maintained a falsely serious appearance – one sitting alone, one standing apart, yet quite harmonious.
“But Lan Zhou and Lan Ting…” He frowned slightly. “They’re at the age when they need instruction. If sent there, first grandmother wouldn’t be willing, and second, it might delay their education. Do you remember grandmother’s words yesterday?”
She nodded. “She wanted the eldest prince recorded under my name.”
He said that’s right. “She wants to keep the children but fears you might not like them, so she deliberately tested you with those words. My thinking is that both children are not small anymore and don’t need to follow anyone. Rather than sending them to Songjiang Prefecture, better to have them learn official duties at the Yingtian Prefecture office. Men raised under women’s hands won’t have great prospects in the future – not just them, but our sons too.” He paused and glanced at her. “Keeping them in Nanjing – how do you view this matter? I’m here to discuss with you today. If you think it’s inappropriate, letting them go to Xuzhou Prefecture with Sixth Brother would also work.”
Though they only had the title of husband and wife without substantial progress, discussing household matters felt quite authentic.
She glanced at him. “This talk makes it sound like I can’t tolerate children. Grandmother wanting to have Lan Zhou raised with me isn’t such a momentous matter. He stayed at the Grand Princess’s residence for over ten days – well-behaved and obedient. I quite like him. Speaking of acknowledging me as mother, it’s just changing one stroke in the genealogy. He’d still call me grandmother – what great difference is there? You said boys need tempering, and staying with Tala Shi won’t do, so don’t go to Songjiang Prefecture. As for Xuzhou Prefecture, they’re still young – waiting another two years won’t be too late. For room and board, he and Brother Ting – whether at the Prince’s residence or Grand Princess’s residence, wherever they wish to be. I’ll keep their rooms here, free to come and go.”
He fingered his prayer beads and nodded only after seeing no displeasure on her face. “All according to your wishes, as long as you don’t lose your temper. To be honest, not having Lan Zhou recorded under your name, I still had selfish motives. When the time comes, you’ll naturally have your own children. With him here, people will inevitably make comparisons. No matter how well you do, you’ll still end up with accusations of favoritism. I don’t want you to suffer such grievances.”
Wanwan had been blushing more easily lately. He thought far ahead for her, which moved her, but his constant talk of children truly embarrassed her.
Seeing her embarrassment, he wanted to laugh but quickly coughed to cover it, saying seriously, “I’m thinking that after everyone is sent away, I should bring you back. Wherever you are, I’ll definitely be there too. The Prince’s residence is too large – leaving grandmother alone would be lonely.”
These were all easy to discuss. Once the residence was truly cleared out, she didn’t necessarily have to live at the Grand Princess’s residence.
That night she explained things to those around her, having them prepare early. When she returned, she would probably move to the Prince’s residence. Xiao You was very happy. “Thinking back to last year when we watched the monster at Xihua Gate was amusing. Now it’s wonderful – master plans to shut herself away with the monster to live together.”
This earned her a fierce glare from Tonghuan. “What monster or no monster – still bringing up old grudges. Is your bottom itching?” She then worried endlessly about the Grand Princess traveling alone to distant places. “In such places, what won’t desperate disaster victims do? You can’t be without protection. Either me or Attendant Yu – you must take one of us. Although the rules aren’t as strict as in the palace anymore, you still can’t be so casual. Washing clothes and fetching water – those rough tasks, will you really do them yourself? You came to Nanyuan to be a princess consort, not to do menial labor. Women face many inconveniences when traveling. In my opinion, it’s best not to go, but if you must, you should bring people. You can’t go all alone.”
Wanwan had been surrounded by people her whole life like stars around the moon. Without servants attending her, as long as she was willing, she wasn’t particular, so she smiled and said, “He has personal attendants – I won’t need to do rough work.”
Hearing this, Tonghuan’s expression darkened. “But personal attendants can’t wash your intimate garments. Will the Prince do it himself, personally serving you? If so, then I’d be relieved. You can go, just return in one piece.”
Wanwan couldn’t answer and privately thought that she had loved washing handkerchiefs as a child – washing clothes shouldn’t be too difficult for her either!
Looking outside, it was already evening. Though he was staying overnight at the Grand Princess’s residence, he was very tactful and understanding. When the time was about right, he went to the adjacent courtyard. Without her approval, he even took his evening meal alone.
Wanwan paced in the corridor for a while, watching the eastern moon hanging half-way up the willow branches – so large and bright. Today was the fifteenth.
“Well then, let me go discuss with him again. He mentioned traveling light – I’m afraid of disrupting his plans.”
Tonghuan and Xiao You brought a glass lamp. After crossing the courtyard, they didn’t follow further, stuffing the lamp into her hands. “Ahead is where the Prince is staying. Go by yourself and watch your step – don’t fall.”
Wanwan held the lamp in bewilderment. “How…”
Tonghuan smiled with pursed lips. “That’s your prince consort. When you go to see him, you’ll inevitably speak intimately. With us nearby, wouldn’t that show lack of discretion?”
It seemed somewhat improper to visit him late at night… She was about to give up when Xiao You gently pushed her from behind. “Please go. Ask the Prince if he can bring one more person – I want to go too. Look, it’s your first time going to such desolate places. I’m worried. Though I have no martial arts skills, I can block knives for you. In critical moments, I’d be useful.”
Only then did Wanwan turn toward the courtyard. Jiangnan courtyards had many winding paths, unlike Beijing’s siheyuan-style buildings where everything was clear upon entering. She walked along the small path lined with jade hairpin flowers. Halfway through, melodious flute music drifted over – “Partridge Sky” with Jiangnan flavor. She couldn’t help but stop and listen carefully. Each person had different techniques, using trills and grace notes in their own habitual ways. This flute was clearly the same one that had harmonized with her qin music that time. She sighed inexplicably – musical soulmates were hard to find, and it turned out that soulmate was indeed him.
Following the lamplight forward, rounding a cluster of green bamboo, she saw under the lamplight a figure leaning against a pillar in leisurely comfort. The vermillion dragon whiskers at the flute’s tail fluttered in the evening breeze, strand by strand, as if plucking at one’s heartstrings. Probably sensing her arrival, the flute music stopped abruptly, and he turned to look at her. The sky-blue robe set off his slightly cool eyes and brows. A gust of wind swept into his garment, sleeves fluttering. Looking more carefully, those eyes had changed to warm tones, yet remained unfathomable no matter how long one gazed.