Lаn Zhоu stаyed аt thе Еldеst Рrincess Residеnсe for оver ten dауs. During this timе, Wаnwаn рersonаlly took care оf him. It wаsn’t difficult fоr a сhild аnd а hаlf-grown уоuth tо build а friеndship, sо when he eхрressеd his filial devotiоn to her in frоnt of the Yuwеn Сlаn rеlаtivеs, shе didn’t find anything inарprорriаte.
Нowеvеr, her taсit аpрroval was sеen by othеrs аs а clеar stancе. Тhе Impеriаl Соnсubinе smiled аnd sаid, “Evеryоne maу not knоw, but lаst timе Lan Zhоu саught а cold, it was Рrincess Chang who lоoked aftеr him. Her Нighness is sо уoung, уet she has such a heart for caring for the younger generation—truly admirable. We Qi People have the tradition of raising each other’s children. Since Lan Zhou has made his wish known, and the two of you are so compatible, Your Highness, in light of his filial devotion, why not adopt him as your foster son?”
Tong Huan suddenly looked up upon hearing this, anxiously glancing at her mistress. She felt that the old lady still favored her grandson—registering the child under the principal wife’s name would give him advantages over his other brothers in every way. If the Princess Royal were unable to bear a son, this eldest young master would naturally become the Heir Apparent.
She then shifted her gaze to Madam Tala. If it were an ordinary mother, how heartbroken she would be to see her son acknowledging someone else as his mother right before her! Yet Madam Tala was different—her face remained humble, her eyes faintly hopeful, and she seemed quite supportive of her son climbing that high branch.
As for Wanwan, being a young woman, she didn’t think so deeply. Having grown up at the center of power, she never had to fight for anything—her rightful status was never lacking. In the future, even if her son didn’t inherit the Feudal Prince’s title, with her own noble background, the imperial court would not treat him unfairly. Thus, she wasn’t particularly concerned about such matters. Since the Imperial Concubine had already spoken, refusal was out of the question. Just as she was about to nod, she heard Yuwen Liangshi say there was no hurry—
“Her Highness has just entered the household; there’s no reason to rush and burden her with a son. I know E’nie is eager for a grandson but can’t say it outright, so she’s using this to remind us…” He glanced affectionately at the person beside him. “Such matters aren’t settled overnight; they should be taken slowly. The tradition of raising each other’s children does exist, but it’s usually done before the child turns three. The boy is older now, and it’s not as if he can’t survive without someone else raising him. We Qi People aren’t that delicate—throw him onto the grasslands, and he’ll still grow up strong and healthy. So, in my opinion, everything should remain as it is. The respect he owes won’t diminish because of this.” He smiled very amiably at Lan Zhou, presenting a picture of paternal kindness and filial devotion. “Lan Zhou, do you think what Ama said makes sense?”
Lan Zhou was disheartened but still bowed respectfully. “Ama is absolutely right. I’m not young anymore—I’ll be nine after the New Year. There’s no precedent for adopting a child this old. I know Grandmother cares for me, but she misunderstood my intentions. I only wish to honor E’nie properly, without any other extravagant hopes.”
Everyone spoke politely, but the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. To outsiders, it appeared as though the Prince had defied the Old Imperial Consort Dowager’s wishes in order to protect the Princess Royal.The Imperial Concubine remained quite composed. "Very well, I was merely joining in the fun, truly just urging you both. As long as you understand in your hearts, that's enough." She brushed it off with a laugh, taking the opera program from the eunuch's hands to flip through. "The opening three acts follow set conventions—'Heavenly Official Bestows Blessings,' 'Chart of Longevity,' and 'Peach Banquet'—I've grown tired of all these. What comes after... I'll pick 'The Melon Garden Fight.' Let the birthday star and his lady choose one act, and the rest we can decide together. If we can't finish during the day, there's still the night. We'll listen to lantern-lit performances, eat lantern festival treats, and have a grand, lively celebration."
Liangshi took the program and asked Wanwan for her opinion. He was not well-versed in opera, often passing the time drinking tea and chatting with his brothers. Wanwan leaned over to look. She usually preferred Kunqu opera, but today's selections were all Beijing opera, so she was rather at a loss. She casually chose "The Famen Temple."
The ladies were quickly captivated by the opera, gathering together to discuss it. She glanced toward the doorway—it seemed no one else would be arriving—then stood up and retreated to the garden with Tong Huan. There, she changed into lighter clothing, took a cold towel, and thoroughly wiped her face.
"Such weather!" she gasped, sitting before the mirror. "At this time of year, Beijing is just warming up, but not the south—it's as hot as summer."
Tong Huan applied lip color for her with a rouge stick, saying, "When the weather turns hot, the mind grows muddled, which is why Consort Bu's illness has worsened. Earlier, when the Imperial Concubine spoke, I broke into a cold sweat, afraid you might not take it seriously and casually agree. That Madam Tala is no simple woman—she's eager to climb higher. Like mother, like son. The eldest young master's cleverness hardly seems like that of an eight-year-old child! Sometimes when I look at him, I truly feel a chill, as if he's a child's shell housing an adult's soul. His every move—if someone said he was taught all that, I wouldn't believe it. Today's words were clearly meant to force you to accept him as your son. Thankfully, the Prince spoke up in the end—after all, he stands by you."
She smiled. "Don't think of the child so harshly. Children naturally want to be close to those they like. Madam Tala's rank is low; she isn't allowed to raise her own child. The eldest brother was brought up by the Imperial Concubine, so he envies others who have a mother's love."
Tong Huan knew she had a kind heart, but sometimes seeing people too simply was not a good thing.
"I think Secondary Consort Zhou and the second young master are the most carefree people in this mansion. They don't compete or strive, just live as they please. Such ease is truly rare."
Wanwan stood up to tidy her hair. "Everyone has their own way of living. We can't control others; we just need to manage ourselves."
Xiao You peeked in. "Will the Prince come over tonight or not? Haven't you two reconciled? If he doesn't come and goes to those secondary consorts instead, what then?"
Wanwan's face flushed instantly. "When will you ever quiet down? I'd consider myself blessed if you did. I regret having Tong Huan bring you back—I should have left you in the Northern Five Compounds scrubbing chamber pots. Then you wouldn't have the leisure to ponder such things!"
Xiao You grinned shamelessly. "Don't say that! I'm concerned for you, after all. It's not just you in the Prince's mansion—they all have sons, so the Prince must feel some affection for them."Hearing this, Wanwan truly felt a bit desolate. Yet many things in life are never perfectly complete; once delayed, it becomes a lifetime. For instance, she couldn’t reach the Eunuch Official, and here, things still remained imperfect. Perhaps such was her fate.
She couldn’t muster the energy to socialize with those unfamiliar noblewomen, so she sent Tong Huan to make an excuse, saying she was tired and would watch the opera in the evening. She lazily reclined on the peony couch, thinking about what to bring when going out. It was a pity she didn’t know how to ride a horse; otherwise, galloping on horseback would save a lot of time.
The front courtyard was bustling with excitement, the drumbeats from the opera stage passionate and spirited, drifting all the way here. She remained indifferent, yawning repeatedly. It was no big deal for a princess to put on airs; accompanying everyone throughout would only lower her status. During her afternoon nap, she dreamed that Yuwen Liangshi gave her a piece of jade, but Madam Tala snatched it away midway. Her heart felt empty, and in a fit of anger, she planned to return to the Eldest Princess Residence. When she woke up and opened her eyes, her mind was still dwelling on it, and her chest ached with stifled pain, unable to shake off the dream for a while.
“This is driving me mad!” she muttered to herself, not understanding why unrelated people had entered her dreams.
She got up, slipped on soft shoes, and went to wash her face in the copper basin. The washstand faced the latticed window, and before she could dry her face, she saw Yuwen Liangshi passing by hurriedly with someone. Because of the lake between them, she couldn’t clearly see the expression in his eyes, but she felt the dark blue casual robe embroidered with floral patterns suited him better. For over two hundred years, the Qi People had maintained their own customs without being assimilated by the Xianbei—truly an iron will.
He walked briskly, giving orders as he went, and soon entered the moon gate. Wanwan stood there for a while before turning to call someone to style her hair. It was getting late, and it was time to make an appearance.
What was “singing the evening lanterns”? It was the opera performed after dinner, with “wind-resistant lanterns” hung high on the stage, and actors singing, reciting, and performing under the lamplight—this was “singing the evening lanterns.” Usually, only close relatives and dear friends watched this, and if the mood struck, they would watch all night. In the middle of the night, the host would serve “lantern snacks,” including wine, dishes, steamed food, and noodle soup. Children especially loved such activities, as they didn’t have to sleep and could stay up all night making noise.
Everyone had taken their seats. On the birthday celebrant’s joyous day, of course, he couldn’t excuse himself and had to accompany the guests. Liangshi propped his chin on one hand, feeling extremely impatient with the actors on stage singing something like, “Our sworn brotherhood is rare, though of different surnames, it surpasses flesh and blood.” He endured it like burning oil under a lamp for the time it took to drink two cups of tea. When he saw Wanwan approaching from the corridor, his spirits immediately lifted.
He went forward to greet her, and everyone stood up. She smiled and gestured for them not to stand on ceremony, then took a seat beside the Imperial Concubine.
A daughter-in-law must sit next to her mother-in-law—such was the rule in every household. Separated by a table, he felt a sense of helplessness, as if gazing at the ocean and sighing. His second and fifth brothers at the same table noticed, whispered to each other, and couldn’t help but laugh.
He noticed and, holding his teacup, asked them what they were laughing about. The fifth brother stroked his newly grown mustache, pointed at both ends, said to be in imitation of the Tang dynasty style, twisted like a water chestnut.
“Third Brother, isn’t being the Imperial Son-in-Law exhausting? The stories about your grand wedding have spread everywhere.”
His expression darkened. “How have they spread everywhere? The wedding went smoothly. What gossip is there for you to chew on?”Fifth Master clicked his tongue, "That business about you getting snubbed while trying to attend the bedchamber—go ask around the clan, who isn’t covering their mouths and laughing! Good heavens, I tell you, this world really doesn’t let men live! Being so eager and still not getting any appreciation, where’s a man supposed to put his old face?"
The more he listened, the more something felt off. Flushed and short of breath, he scolded, "Which blind fool made up such nonsense! Look at her—does she seem like such an unreasonable person? She knows how to follow her husband’s lead, calling me ‘master’ this and ‘master’ that in front of others, and who knows how tender she is behind closed doors! And you lot, hearing such nonsense should’ve slapped the talker right across the face. Instead, you just stand by and watch the joke, letting people trample all over me. Is that how brothers should act?"
Following her husband’s lead? Aren’t you ashamed to say that? Second Master picked at his teeth, "Whether you’re long or short, we saw it when we compared peeing as kids—don’t bother with that nonsense. Setting that aside, let’s talk about that hand warmer you’ve been clutching for three months. Now that the weather’s warmed up, you still stuff it into your bed at night. Aren’t you embarrassed, a proper man like you?"
The two brothers, utterly lacking in decency, burst into loud laughter. The Prince, who had inherited the title, was utterly mortified. Realizing no one else could have betrayed him, he turned and called for Rong Bao, "You dog of a servant, did these words leak from between your teeth?"
Rong Bao hunched over, crying out in injustice, "Master, please see clearly! How would I dare? I’m famously tight-lipped—my teeth aren’t that wide apart!"
Furious but afraid of drawing attention, he lowered his voice, "Don’t play dumb with me. Who else besides you would spill those old secrets?"
Rong Bao rolled his bovine eyes upward, "Let this servant think..."
"Think your mother’s nonsense!" He smacked Rong Bao squarely on the back of the head. "Just you wait. Once this is over, you’ll get what’s coming—stripped naked for the Flagpole Punishment, letting everyone have a good look at your inconvenient parts!"
Fifth Master cheered, "I’ve heard eunuchs have trouble down there. Come spring, it’s like chives—if you don’t cut them for a while, they start sprouting."
Rong Bao’s face fell in despair, nearly dropping to his knees. "Fifth Master, you can’t do this to your servant! Back then, it was you who tricked me into talking. I accidentally let it slip without thinking, and you gave your word, promised I’d be fine. How can you act like this now, not only not helping plead for me but even fanning the flames!"
Fifth Master pretended not to hear, simply joining Second Master in stirring up trouble. In the end, it was only when the Princess Royal over there heard the commotion and looked over that the Prince, fearing the matter would spiral out of control, gritted his teeth and sent Rong Bao away.
The men of the Yuwen Clan had no particular strengths except for their brotherly unity. Though not born of the same mother, they came from the same vine and were raised together since childhood, never leaving anyone behind whether climbing mountains or crossing rivers. The old Prince had six sons and four princesses. Aside from the fourth son, who died at age seven, the rest were all strong and healthy. After he inherited the title, he never distanced himself from them because of his changed status—things remained exactly as they were before. This had much to do with the old Prince’s teachings: brothers should be friendly and respectful to one another; harmony among brothers lies at the heart of filial piety. Anyone who dared disobey would never set foot across this threshold again for the rest of their lives. Thus, this harmony was etched into their very blood and bones, and to this day, it has not changed in the slightest.The upbringing he received in his own childhood was passed down to his sons after he became a father. Lan Zhou and Lanting were now like this, and as the brotherhood continued to grow in the future, as long as he lived, this old tradition would be passed down from generation to generation. Among brothers, jokes were never taken seriously—they had even seen each other naked as children. Now, facing a minor setback in marriage and having his past exposed, what did it matter if he let them laugh at him once with a thick skin?
Sure enough, the three brothers began to worry together.
"Women are harder to handle than training soldiers," the second brother said. "After all, she's your own woman, so you can't really discipline her..."
The fifth brother's thoughts were straightforward: "Whether she's a good woman or a bad one, once you've got her, just get her into bed."
Liangshi glared at him. "What kind of person do you take her for? Is the bed something you can just get into whenever you want?"
The fifth brother spread his hands. "Then what should we do? It's a pity Sixth Brother isn't back, or he'd be the expert. Asking him would definitely yield a solution."
The second brother pondered for a long while, arms crossed. "Aren't you heading to Huaining? Spend a couple of days there sharing hardships, and everything will fall into place."
The fifth brother immediately perked up. "How so? Does Second Brother have some brilliant plan?"
"What brilliant plan? Women are just women. No matter how high their status, they can't live without men. Once in Huaining, looking around and seeing nothing but disaster victims, that high-and-mighty air of hers will vanish. If you happen to encounter a few bandits and stage a heroic rescue, just wait—your good days are about to begin."
He immediately shook his head. "Don't use such lowly tricks on her."
"Then what? Let you sleep hugging a hand warmer every day?" The second brother was about to laugh again. "You, with your fine appearance on the surface—who would have thought you're such a coward in private! Since she's come to your family, she's your person. What are you afraid of?"
They didn't understand—it wasn't fear, but reluctance to let her suffer. A fine princess, falling into someone else's hands—what if she gets hurt? Those reckless fools, what do they know about cherishing beauty? Coming up with such ideas is just stirring up trouble.
Leaning back in his chair, he slowly stroked his chin. "Better to let things take their natural course. She already knows about the incident with Yin Ge last time and has been sulking with me. It wasn't until yesterday that she finally gave me a smile..."
"I know," the fifth brother said. "You even went all out, accompanying her to fly kites. I was thinking there's nothing you wouldn't do for her. One day, you'll even wash her feet."
Liangshi glared straight at him. "What's wrong with washing feet? I'm willing."
The two brothers uttered a series of "fine"s. The old Prince's virtue of cherishing his wife like his life clearly hadn't been passed down to them, so his passionate devotion was something they simply couldn't comprehend.
Just as they were racking their brains over the trip to Huaining, they saw Shucun approaching from afar along the corridor. He immediately straightened up, sitting upright, while the second and fifth brothers also frowned, guessing there was likely more news.
Shucun arrived before them, lifted his robe, knelt down, and kowtowed four times: "May my master live a thousand autumns. This servant has only just arrived now. Please forgive this servant for his tardiness."
He raised a hand. "Rise. You're on duty for me, so I can't hold such things against you. Tell me, is there any news from the capital?"Shucun rose to his feet, straightened his sleeves and posture with a slight solemnity, then paid his respects to Second Master and Fifth Master before approaching in quick steps. He lowered his voice and said, "The Empress has passed away. Last night, the corner tower caught fire. Due to its high location, the water pumps were utterly inadequate to extinguish the flames. It burned for three full hours before finally being put out. When the Silk-clad Guards went up to investigate, both the Empress and her attending maids had been reduced to charred remains. The Emperor has already ordered funeral arrangements, and the obituary is currently on its way. It should arrive in about two more days."
The three brothers were stunned for a moment. Fifth Master remarked, "That was rather sudden. This Consort Bu was only crowned Empress a few months ago. First, she went mad, and now she's dead."
Liangshi asked Shucun, "If they were burned beyond recognition, how can they be certain the Empress was among them?"
Shucun replied, "Eunuch Xiao was leaning against the base of the city wall, so weak he could barely stand. How could that be false?"
Leaning back in his chair, he gave a cold smile. "That old fox showing such a slip only makes it even harder to believe. If even the corpses are unrecognizable, it’s clear the dead woman is definitely not Empress Bu. Just wait and see—Xiao Duo is likely planning a golden cicada shedding its shell. This time, The Emperor has become a child without a mother, losing a crucial ally. Now, he only has the Inner Cabinet left to rely on. His grand ambition of achieving immortality will probably have to be put on hold."
Second Master grunted, "Aren’t you worried? If Xiao Duo abandons his duties, we’ll have to reconsider our plans from the beginning."
Shucun slowly shook his head. "If he truly leaves and never returns in this lifetime, that wouldn’t be a bad thing. That man is difficult to subdue and utterly impossible to make use of. If he arranges his own exit, it saves me the trouble of taking action." As he spoke, he shifted his gaze to the figure under the lamplight. "This way... it counts as an explanation. Everything will get better."
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