Sea of No Return

Thаnks tо hеr bеing unmаrried, or pеrhаps intentiоnally sреаking in rеvеrsе, he questiоned why she hadn't fulfilled her рrоmise thаt daу?

Wаnwаn rеalizеd just hоw timid аnd fеаrful she wаs. As he spоkе, she wishеd she could find а hole tо crawl intо. Тhеn, whеn hе finishеd, his gаze lightly sеttlеd on hеr fасe, аnd she grеw еven morе flustеred.

Вecausе the Empеrоr hаd alrеady bestоwеd thе marriаgе, Тоng Нuаn resреctfullу bowеd to him, onlу to bе shаrрly рullеd bасk by Wanwan. Nаhan looked at hеr, and she armеd herself with аll the рridе of а princess, lifting her chin to say, "What a remarkable coincidence, I never expected to meet you here. Did Your Highness come specifically to wait for me?"

The light in his eyes dimmed slightly, and he did not answer yes or no, only saying, "I previously received an edict from the palace. Your Highness is likely aware of it as well?"

Wanwan’s face flushed involuntarily. His words reminded her that they were now considered betrothed. Whether she acknowledged it or not, the matter was almost set in stone, with little room for reversal. She felt stifled and unhappy, knowing she shouldn’t take her frustrations out on him, yet she still harbored some resentment toward him.

A look of weariness appeared on her face. "If Your Highness could manage your household properly, such an absurd situation as today’s would never have occurred."

She made no mention of her previous failure to meet him at the city tower. In his heart, he felt a faint sense of disappointment. Investigating the matter thoroughly, he found that she had indeed changed her mind.

Perhaps she looked down on him—a turtle climbing the dragon’s back to seek glory, nothing to boast about. He was indifferent to the matter itself, as it had all been part of his careful planning. Now that his goal was achieved, he was filled with joy. However, Princess Chang did not see it that way. Forced into marriage under such awkward circumstances, she was implicated and had to endure the gossip alongside him, which wounded her pride immensely.

For now, he had brought her no honor and felt he owed her. Once she was by his side, he would slowly make it up to her. Watching her stiff, frozen face in the evening breeze, he took her scolding lightly and turned to gesture. "It’s getting late. I’ll escort Your Highness back to the palace. If you’re unwilling to speak with me today, we can wait until your anger subsides." He glanced toward the Directorate of Ceremonial and added quietly, "I originally came to see Seal-holding Xiao, but unfortunately, he hasn’t returned. If he were here, he probably wouldn’t have let Your Highness walk in the cold wind..."

Thinking of Xiao Duo first after receiving the edict was indeed ironic. The princess was too young and had long grown accustomed to relying on him. Uprooting him from her heart would require considerable effort. He felt a twinge of jealousy but harbored no anger. The princess was inexperienced and not at fault; the blame lay with that pretentious fake eunuch.

He hadn’t interacted with her much, yet he understood her better than anyone else. She was the type to yield to softness but resist force. The more humble he made himself, the easier it would be for her to accept him.

She walked proudly ahead, while he trailed slightly behind, glancing at her from time to time, each look evoking a different feeling. Perhaps this was what it meant to like someone—to forgive without principle, to find her delightful and endearing even when she was utterly rude.Wanwan felt a sense of helplessness, as if thorns were pricking her back, because he was following beside her. Today’s encounter halfway was almost certainly no coincidence. Sometimes she couldn’t help but suspect that his appearances at just the right time and place seemed deliberately orchestrated. Yet, every time she saw him, such doubts vanished, and everything felt perfectly natural again.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye—elegant and composed, without a trace of haste or recklessness. This was his greatest trait, one that inexplicably inspired trust and admiration. After this harsh winter, she would marry him… marry him and spend her life with him… Wanwan gazed at the drifting clouds in the sky, her emotions churning like an overturned spice jar, a faint bitterness rising at the root of her tongue.

“If Your Highness is reluctant to leave the capital, I will bring you back after the grand ceremony,” he suddenly said. “This matter has come about hastily, and I know Your Highness feels unsettled. It’s alright—we can take things slowly. Until Your Highness accepts me, I will not press forward. Please rest assured. For me, marrying Your Highness is indeed reaching beyond my station. It is only natural if Your Highness is unwilling. But I beg Your Highness to believe that Liangshi’s sincerity is as clear as heaven and earth. The words I spoke to you that day at Tanzhe Temple were not a single falsehood.”

What “will not press forward”? Wanwan felt both embarrassed and annoyed. His tenderness now seemed nothing but ulterior motives.

They were nearing the Gate of Shunzhen, its deep archway leading to another world. She turned around and gave a cold smile. “I am descending to the Southern Garden, but I fear that once I enter the gates of your Yuwen Clan, I will have no say in anything.”

He clasped his hands and bowed to her. “As a Feudal Prince of a different surname, I should refer to myself as ‘your subject’ before the Princess Royal. There is a distinction between ruler and subject between the Princess Royal and me, and I would never dare to defy the Princess Royal.”

“Good,” she said, the word crisp and decisive. “Then I ask the Prince to stand before the Gate of Chastity and Loyalty and not move a step without my order. I hope the Prince will keep his word.”

Her tone was haughty, her face still bearing the stubbornness of one who felt wronged. A girl spoiled since childhood, no matter how sensible, still had moments of willfulness. Yet, he showed no displeasure, nodding and saying “good” before standing exactly where she had indicated, facing the biting wind.

Wanwan took a few rough breaths, flicked her sleeve, and strode through the Gate of Shunzhen. She walked straight ahead, turning into the narrow passageway without looking back even once.

Tong Huan followed closely behind her. “Your Highness, this may not be appropriate.”

“What’s inappropriate about it? He himself acknowledged the distinction between ruler and subject. If I tell him to stand, he must stand!” She stepped into the Cultivating Virtue Palace and snapped angrily, “Don’t speak of him again. I’m hungry—bring me something to eat.”

And so, order was restored in the bedchamber. The princess’s daily routine was fixed, with everything done according to schedule. She had some pastries and fruits, then reclined on the kang to read. Two hours passed, and she had completely forgotten about the Prince of Nanyuan.

The Emperor arrived with a face full of anger, storming into the bedchamber and confronting her directly. “How could you act so recklessly!”

Wanwan didn’t even rise from the kang to greet him, turning her face away instead. “Where have I acted recklessly? Please enlighten me, Your Majesty.”The Emperor's wide sleeves swished through the air as he gestured. "I just issued the decree, and you immediately make things difficult for the Prince of Nanyuan. Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me? On such a bitterly cold day, you make him stand outside the Gate of Chastity and Loyalty like a target for everyone to see? Even though you are the Princess Royal, he is still a Feudal Prince. You're fifteen years old now—how can you not understand such basic courtesy? What am I supposed to say to you?"

Wanwan suddenly remembered the matter and was startled. She hurriedly turned to look at Tong Huan, whose expression confirmed it—she still hadn't given the order to let him return.

Two hours. Would someone from the south freeze to death in the icy northern weather?

"Is he still there?"

The Emperor snorted. "I ordered someone to persuade him to leave, but he's stubborn. His teeth were chattering so hard they couldn't even pry them open, yet he still insisted that without the Princess Royal's command, he'd rather freeze to death than move."

Because of his own affair with Yin Ge, the Emperor had hoped the matter would be quietly resolved. Who would have thought his younger sister would cause such trouble? He was truly displeased. Seeing her sitting dazedly on the kang, he felt even more that she had no respect for him. Frowning, he said, "I've been here for half the day, and you've neither welcomed me nor paid your respects. Where did you learn such manners?"

His raised voice startled her thoroughly. She was already dissatisfied with today's decree, and now he had come to her door to demand an explanation. She could no longer care about his status. Kicking her leg out, she sent the Hidden Pillow on the kang flying toward him.

"You're the Emperor, and I'm just your servant. No wonder you want to send me away—you just resent me eating your food. This Cultivating Virtue Palace was bestowed upon me by Father. If your palace is too crowded and you need me to make room, you could have just said so directly. Why beat around the bush? It bothers you that I made things difficult for the Prince of Nanyuan? You treat him better than you treat me. If you come here to harass me again, I'll go to the Ancestral Hall and cry to Father and Mother. I'll stay there forever and never come out!"

She had always been gentle and courteous, but today she was throwing a tantrum, addressing him informally and crying as she spoke. The Emperor was dumbfounded. Had she taken the wrong medicine, or was she so upset she was going mad? He didn't dare scold her further and quickly changed his tone to soothe her. "Alright, alright. If you want him to stand there, he can stand until tomorrow. But remember, he's yours now. If he dies, you, a Princess Royal, will be labeled a widow before marriage. How would that sound?" Seeing she was about to erupt again, he pressed down on his Winged Virtue Crown in alarm and hurriedly fled the room.

Chongmao stepped forward to receive him. The Emperor glanced back at the south-facing window, where the Princess Royal was still glaring fiercely at him through the glass. He swallowed hard. "Send Xiao Duo to talk some sense into her. It seems she's not well. Also, summon an Imperial Physician to examine her. If caught early, perhaps there's still hope."

The Emperor left, deeply worried. Wanwan cried angrily, "What kind of Brother is he? He lost all human warmth long ago, yet he still acts like a big shot around me!"

Xiao You stuck out her tongue. "You're the only one in the palace who dares speak to His Majesty like that. Don't waste time being angry. The Prince of Nanyuan is still standing in the wind. What if he dies?"

Reluctantly, she climbed down from the kang, muttering complaints under her breath. "Everyone is forcing me. Life from now on will be even more unbearable."

It was quite a distance from her bedchamber. She could have just sent someone with a message, but she felt too embarrassed. She had to go and see for herself.It was bitterly cold outside, with fine snow carried by the wind that stung the face. Sheltered beneath an umbrella, she still shivered from the chill. If that Prince of Nanyuan didn’t know to seek shelter, he might as well be a fool. She had always believed the Emperor had deceived her, and even halfway here, she remained skeptical. But as she approached the Shunzhen Gate, through its wide-open doors, she saw him standing there against the wind, snow already accumulating on his shoulders and hat. Even in such misfortune, he did not appear disheveled or pitiable.

Xiao You nudged her shoulder, and she sighed. "Go and relay my message for him to return." Then she muttered, "Did the old Prince of Nanyuan have only this one son? Otherwise, why would he inherit the title?"

In truth, the previous Prince of Nanyuan had six sons and over a dozen daughters. That he was chosen to succeed naturally spoke to his exceptional qualities. Now, if nothing else, his ability to endure humiliation and shoulder burdens was enough to earn admiration.

Xiao You acknowledged the order and turned to leave when she called out, handing over the hand warmer and nodding toward the figure outside the gate.

At heart, she was kind. Even if she harbored grievances over many things, she wouldn’t press an issue relentlessly. She watched as Xiao You ran to the gate, saw her hand the warmer to him, and observed his stiff, distant bow in her direction. That gesture made her eyes sting with regret—she had gone too far, venting her anger on him without understanding the situation. Upon reflection, it truly felt unwarranted.

She lowered the umbrella slightly, hiding her eyes. Why did her heart feel so hollow? He had once said at Tanzhe Temple that he would seek the Emperor’s permission to marry her at the winter solstice court assembly. At the time, she had agreed. But later, when the Emperor proposed exchanging her for his concubine, her fondness for him vanished entirely—utterly unreasonable. He was truly a good man, enduring her deliberate provocations without complaint. She had never made things difficult for anyone in her life, and this impulsive act left her filled with regret.

Well, marrying anyone was the same—why not him? The one she loved was already taken. Finding someone who loved her and was no less than Xiao Duo—perhaps Heaven hadn’t treated her so poorly after all.