Li Shimin nodded: “You only focused on listening to her words, but you didn’t notice her gaze. When she said this, Imperial Consort Wan glanced toward where Yuanji was sitting. It was this one glance that made me swallow back the words that were on my lips.” Speaking to this point, he sighed: “Imperial Consort Wan truly deserves to be the person who understands Father Emperor the most. With just that one sentence, she accurately and precisely guessed Father Emperor’s thoughts.”

After a long silence, Du Ruhui said with lingering fear: “Who would have thought that such danger was hidden within what seemed like a joyful and harmonious banquet? ‘Serving the ruler is like serving a tiger’—this saying is absolutely correct.”

Li Shimin said coldly: “Even if he is a tiger, I will still pluck a tuft of fur from him!”

Injustice, coldness, schemes—every single thing Li Yuan had done not only disappointed Li Shimin but also made him respect and love him less and less.

While scheming against others, one would also be schemed against. Li Yuan didn’t understand this principle, or perhaps… as the Emperor, he disdained to understand it!

In the darkness, the carriage wheels kept turning, round and round, not knowing how many circles they had made before the carriage stopped. Duan Zhihong lifted the curtain and said: “Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”

Li Shimin nodded and said to Du Ruhui: “Get out.”

Du Ruhui complied and got off the carriage. After seeing the surroundings clearly, he was immediately stunned. This was not the Prince of Qin’s residence, but Chunming Gate on the eastern side of Chang’an.

“Isn’t Your Highness returning to the Prince of Qin’s residence?” Faced with Du Ruhui’s inquiry, Li Shimin didn’t answer, only walked up to the city tower. After reaching the top, he pointed at the dark night and said: “That’s the direction where Mingyue Nunnery is located. Every time I miss Yunyi, I come here to look at her. Although I can’t see her, I always feel that Yunyi is also looking at me.”

Du Ruhui silently gazed at the layers of darkness below the city tower. “Your Highness frequently comes to Chunming Gate to gaze toward Mingyue Nunnery like this. Aren’t you afraid the gate guards might become suspicious and report to the Crown Prince or even His Majesty?”

Li Shimin smiled slightly: “I forgot to tell you—those responsible for guarding Chunming Gate are all my people. And I only come after nightfall each time. Apart from Zhihong and the others, you’re the only one who knows. Unless you plan to inform on me, they won’t know.”

Du Ruhui smiled wryly: “I’m sorry. This subordinate misunderstood Your Highness just now. Please forgive me.”

“You were also concerned about Yunyi. How could I blame you?” While speaking, Li Shimin gazed toward the direction of Mingyue Nunnery, his eyes holding an unshakeable longing.

Du Ruhui sighed: “I wonder when Consort Yang will be able to return.”

Li Shimin’s eyes turned ice-cold: “Let’s wait a while longer. When I have the strength to contend with him, that will be the day I bring Yunyi back.”

Du Ruhui knew that the “him” Li Shimin spoke of didn’t refer to Li Jiancheng, but to Li Yuan. After all, Li Yuan was the one who decided everything. To oppose that person sitting high in the Taiji Hall—how could it be easy? But Du Ruhui believed that Li Shimin would definitely be able to do it.

In Mingyue Nunnery, Yunyi stood by the window, silently gazing toward the direction of Chang’an City. A cloak gently fell on Yunyi’s shoulders, and she heard Ruyi’s concerned voice in her ear: “Princess, be careful not to catch cold.”

“I’m fine.” Yunyi tugged at the corner of her lips. “Is the Buddha hall cleaned?”

“Mm, it’s just sweeping dust and wiping tables. Nothing else.” Speaking thus, Ruyi took the plate from the table as if presenting a treasure. “Abbess Jingkong said today is Little New Year’s Eve and gave me a bowl of vegetarian dumplings, telling me to bring them to share with the Princess.” Though life in the nunnery was austere, fortunately no one made things difficult for them, and Abbess Jingkong was particularly kind, taking good care of them.

Yunyi smiled slightly: “You eat them. I’m not hungry.”

Ruyi looked at her and said: “Is the Princess thinking of Second Young Master again?”

Her words made the smile on Yunyi’s lips fade. She lowered her head and said nothing. Ruyi secretly blamed herself for talking too much. Fearing that Yunyi would be sad, she quickly said: “It’s this servant’s fault. This servant shouldn’t have mentioned…”

“It’s fine.” Yunyi took out a stack of drawing paper from the bottom of a box in the corner of the room. On each sheet of paper was drawn a child, from a swaddled infant to toddling steps, then to running around, catching cats and teasing dogs, growing bigger and more adorable. Yunyi stroked the child in the drawing and murmured: “By the first lunar month, Kuan’er will be three years old. He’ll be even bigger then. I wonder if he received the clothes I made for him. With his fair skin, he looks best in a red little jacket.”

“Princess, rest assured. On New Year’s Day, Second Young Master will definitely wear the clothes you made for him. This servant remembers that last year, before the Lantern Festival had even passed, the Princess Consort had already sent Second Young Master’s portrait. This year will surely be no exception. Please wait patiently for a few more days.”

Yunyi nodded: “These two years, I’m truly grateful to the Princess Consort. If not for her, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even know what Kuan’er looks like now.”

“The Princess Consort has always been very good.” After a moment of silence, Ruyi couldn’t help saying: “If everyone were as good as the Princess Consort, we wouldn’t have fallen to such a state, and Jixiang also…” Even though nearly two years had passed, Ruyi still felt overwhelming grief whenever Jixiang’s death was mentioned.

“If everyone were like the Princess Consort…” Yunyi repeated in a low voice, then shook her head with a bitter smile: “If that were the case, there wouldn’t be so many wars and conflicts in this world, and not so many people would have died.”

Mentioning warfare, Ruyi suddenly remembered something and quickly said: “This afternoon, this servant heard from people who came to the nunnery to burn incense that His Highness has returned. With thirty thousand troops, he recovered Shanxi, which Fourth Highness, Prime Minister Pei, and General Li were all helpless to handle. He also killed a great general under Liu Wuzhou, called… called…” Ruyi couldn’t remember for a moment, until Yunyi prompted: “Was it Song Jingang?”

Ruyi quickly nodded: “Yes, yes, yes, that’s him! This servant also heard that although Liu Wuzhou escaped, he was killed by the Turkic forces and can never harm our Great Tang again. How satisfying! When His Highness returned, people from the entire city went to welcome him, and they even called His Highness the War God. Just thinking about it feels so magnificent!”

Yunyi fingered the Buddhist beads in her hand and said indifferently: “It’s good that he won.”

Ruyi observed Yunyi and said puzzledly: “Why does it seem like the Princess isn’t very happy about His Highness’s victorious return?”

“It’s not that I’m not happy, but I knew he would definitely win. Just as the people say, he is the War God. As long as he’s there, victory is certain.”

Ruyi giggled and said: “His Highness has accomplished such great merit this time. His Majesty will surely reward him well. Maybe tomorrow His Highness will come to take you back!”

Yunyi shook her head: “No, he won’t.”

Ruyi was startled: “He won’t? Why not? Does His Highness not plan to come for the Princess?”

Yunyi sighed: “It’s not that he doesn’t plan to, but the time isn’t right yet.”

“The time isn’t right?” Ruyi said in confusion: “His Highness just accomplished great merit. Isn’t this a good time?”