Наlf a month lаtеr, Yu Хiхiа returned with a rеsрonse.
Аt that time, Wаnwаn wаs сrоuсhing in front of а cage feeding her squirrеl whеn Tоng Huаn еntеrеd to аnnоunсе thаt Lord Yu hаd arrived. She stооd up, wiрed her hands, аnd walked thrоugh the floоr sсrееn tо thе frоnt hall.
Yu Xiхiа steрреd forwаrd and bоwеd. "Your Highnеss, thе agеnts sent to investigаte the militarу fоrсes in Хuzhou and othеr rеgiоns, as уоu соmmаndеd the оthеr daу, returnеd last night. I cаme еаrlу to rероrt tо Your Highness. In аddition to the manpоwer alloсated tо the lосal оffices in each county, the garrison troops exceed the limits set by the imperial court. According to the agents' estimates, there are approximately a thousand soldiers in each location. Based on the twenty-six counties in the Southern Garden fiefdom, the total would be at most twenty-six thousand."
She paced around the room, deep in thought. "Twenty-six thousand... Combined with the garrison troops, border soldiers, and naval forces in Jinling you previously investigated, the total would be around fifty thousand, correct?"
Yu Xixia confirmed, "Fifty thousand troops, at the very least."
"What can fifty thousand troops accomplish?" She frowned and clenched her fist. "The Southern Garden is vast. If concentrated in one place, the numbers would indeed be formidable, but if dispersed, they hardly seem threatening. What I find fortunate at the moment is that these troops are merely infantry and cavalry—formidable on land but not to be feared. What I fear is if those fifty thousand are mobilized for the naval forces. With so many warships docked at New River Mouth, if the Water Attendant loses control and heads straight for Tianjin, the capital would be in grave danger."
Yu Xixia glanced up slightly, listening to her analysis of military deployment and battle lines. Her reasoning was so thorough that she hardly seemed like a princess confined to the inner chambers.
Yet, she was not without personal bias. One moment she was planning ahead, and the next she relaxed, leaning despondently against the mother-of-pearl inlaid cabinet. "He told me last time, and I know he’s doing it for self-preservation. There’s still me in the Southern Garden, secretly investigating the troops under his command. But what about the other seven princes? Who can guarantee they don’t have a single soldier?"
Yu Xixia replied, "Your Highness need not worry for now. Our Great Ye has two million mighty troops. Even if the Feudal Prince commands fifty thousand, it is but a drop in the ocean, hardly worth concern. However, what I fear..."
Seeing his hesitation, she urged him to speak freely. Tucking his sleeves, he continued, "The Qi People soldiers have a custom: in peacetime, they farm and appear no different from ordinary people. But once war breaks out, they can gather from all directions and take up arms. Therefore, it is impossible to determine exactly how many troops the Prince commands."
She was stunned and said anxiously, "Are you saying our investigation is entirely futile?"
Yu Xixia wore a helpless expression. "Indeed, it is. But Your Highness need not assume the worst. It is possible that the Prince truly commands only this many troops. Still, I must advise Your Highness: the imperial court has The Emperor. Whether it is war or peace, these are matters for men. Your Highness need only take care of yourself. On one side is your Imperial Brother, and on the other is your Imperial Consort. No matter what happens in the future, you will always be safe and sound."
Upon hearing this, she smiled—though the curve of her lips was twisted, perhaps it should not be called a smile.
"Safe and sound... Inner Attendant, do you truly believe that? When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Whichever side suffers, it would be a catastrophe for me. What I hope for most is to maintain the status quo. Things are fine as they are now. I want to live a good life with the Prince and even have a child. I used to feel so lonely, and now that things have just become lively around me, I don’t want it to end so soon."Tong Huan smiled from the side, easing the tension. "Your Highness, really, the more you speak, the more alarming it becomes. Just the other day, you told me you could tolerate him commanding fifty thousand troops. Now that the number is close to what you expected, why are you worrying again?" She then turned to chide Yu Xixia, "Lord Yu, you shouldn’t lead Her Highness down that path. These are baseless matters, yet with just a few words from you, you might frighten someone into illness. Since we have leisure today, why don’t you accompany Her Highness for a game of chess? I’ll have someone bring the chess table. We can sit beneath the threshold window where there’s a breeze."
Yu Xixia quickly agreed, "It was my recklessness to speak of such matters before Your Highness."
Wanwan shook her head. "People say ignorance is bliss, that the ignorant are blessed, but I don’t see it that way. I’d rather remain clear-headed at all times, so when the moment arrives, I won’t panic." She smiled faintly. "Such is the way of the imperial family—even when the donkey falls, the pride remains. There’s a phrase called ‘facing death with composure.’ Even in death, one must maintain grace and integrity. This is the teaching left by our ancestors."
Those in the room listened, each feeling an indescribable sentiment. She placed great importance on the State and Altars, yet The Emperor’s rule carried an air of irreverence. Sometimes, Tong Huan tried to advise her, but her words left her speechless: "Among the Murong family of this generation, only our branch remains. If Brother cannot protect the State and Altars, how will he pass it down to the children? I’m not doing this for him; I’m doing it for Murong. My son will one day serve as a minister to those princes, and I, naturally, will serve as a minister to Brother."
Everyone holds a belief, and when held too long, it becomes an obsession. Her concern for the nation and its people grew even stronger after visiting Huaining. Great Ye had fallen to such a state, far removed from the prosperity of its founding era. If descendants could not preserve the legacy of their ancestors, how could they face them in the afterlife?
She had no desire for chess, so there was no need to set up the board. She said she was not in the mood today. "I see many lotus flowers have bloomed in the pond. Let’s go admire them there."
Yu Xixia bowed and took his leave. She went to the mirror, took down her hair, and fastened it with a golden sparrow hairpin before heading alone to the lakeside.
As June approached, the weather grew hotter day by day, making it impossible to go out when the sun was directly overhead. This was her first summer in Jiangnan, and indeed, the southern climate was more distinct than the north’s. Fortunately, there was a long corridor over the lake, its roof thatched with straw. Carrying a fishing rod, she searched for a spot to cast her bait. A breeze swept under her skirt, and the cool air over the lake made it a perfect place to escape the heat.
Unlike those delicate girls who "fear the chill and dare not lean on railings," she preferred fishing for crabs while others played on swings or competed with grass. Her constitution was robust; having tested her resilience to the cold twice, she dared to eat lake delicacies dipped in sauce and seasonings. The last time she ate crab, Lan Zhou saw her and exclaimed in alarm, "How filthy this thing is!" She shot him a resentful glare, thinking to herself that this child had no tact. She had already eaten several, and his remark about it being dirty was clearly a slight.
She pushed the remaining two crabs toward him. "These were caught by me personally. There are no others like them in the world. Better to arrive at the right time than to come early. I bestow them upon you. Eat them."
Lan Zhou was an odd child. He didn’t care for such things, but upon hearing there were no others like them in the world, he stole a glance at her. "Did E’nie not save any for Ama?"She shook her head, "Your Ama won’t even let me fish, saying if I want to eat anything, I should just order the cooks. How can anything bought from the market compare to what I catch myself?" She broke one open and pointed at the roe inside, "Look, how plump!"
Lan Zhou knew the essence of the crab lay in its roe. He carefully picked it out and placed it on her plate, "Your son can eat the body, E’nie should have this. But be careful—this kind of food is cold in nature, so it’s best to eat less."
Such a young child, yet acting like an old scholar. She sighed inwardly, feeling sorry for this child who had almost no childhood. From the moment he understood things, he had been treated as an adult, and life in the prince’s mansion was just as difficult as in the palace.
He ate the crab with refined elegance. At first, he seemed a little afraid, but later, as if he had discovered the taste, he smiled and said, "Next time E’nie goes, call your son along. Then your son can catch the crabs, and E’nie can just untie the nets by the side."
Her unique hobby of skillfully catching crabs became known to Liangshi. Originally, there were few crabs in the Lake of Graceful Charm, making them hard to catch. To avoid dampening her spirits, he bought ten baskets from outside and poured them into the lake. As a result, when the moon rose at night, the lakeshore was filled with the rustling sounds of crabs bustling about.
Ah, setting aside those dissatisfactions, her life was actually quite good. One should be content with what one has. She often wondered if she had been too particular, making herself so exhausted?
She sat down in a patch of shade. Her skirt, thin and delicate, was blown by the wind into the water, but she remained completely unaware. She had a special trick for catching crabs: hanging pork liver on a rope. Because it lasted so long, she usually didn’t need to change the bait. She whiled away her time by the lake, watching the flowers and leaves covering the water, her heart at peace, temporarily able to forget those unhappy things.
Crabs were foolish, lacking brains. Once they latched onto food, they disregarded danger, biting and chewing greedily. When taken out of the water and placed at the mouth of the bucket, they wouldn’t shake off even when jostled—they had to be pulled off forcefully. Just as Wanwan pulled one off, Xiao You came running up, holding out a letter to present to her: "Old Grandfather probably misses you again."
It was still addressed to "Imperial Sister." Wanwan opened the letter and read it. First, a poem was presented, brilliantly composed without any sense of artifice—it was The Emperor’s recent reflections on alchemy. Next, he wrote about how much he missed his sister, how she was thousands of miles away from the capital, and he wondered how her health was now. In two days, it would be their mother’s death anniversary. In previous years, the siblings had paid their respects together, but this year, only Brother would be alone, feeling doubly lonely. If his sister was willing, she could return to the capital for a short stay, so they could also reminisce about their sibling bond. Brother had recently found a second spring, suddenly tasting the flavor of love, to the point where he very much wanted to make that person his empress. However, he feared his sister would be displeased, so he wanted to hear her opinion. Reading further, he finally wrote, albeit awkwardly, that the person who made him feel as if bathed in spring breeze was none other than Tongyun, originally Yin Lou’s servant girl, who later, by the Empress Dowager’s arrangement, married Xiao Duo.
Wanwan broke out in a cold sweat, stunned for a long time, then angrily threw the letter into the water.
This was getting more and more absurd. She knew he had a weakness for liking young married women. Before, when he fell for Yin Lou, it was somewhat understandable—after all, she only occupied a nominal position, meant for burial. But now he had set his sights on Tongyun, who was nominally the family member of a eunuch. While Xiao Duo was fighting battles in Ryukyu for him, he was digging at the man’s foundation from behind. If this reputation spread, how could it be acceptable?She took a deep breath, her face pale. Xiao You glanced at the letter in the water, the ink bleeding and spreading like dark clouds floating on the peach blossom stationery.
"What's wrong, Mistress? Has His Majesty done something outrageous again?"
Tears welled up in her eyes. "This time, he's taken a liking to Tongyun."
Xiao You stuck out her tongue. "Tongyun, the one paired with Seal-holding Xiao? Why does he always love snatching Seal-holding Xiao's women? Once wasn't enough, now twice?" Suddenly struck by a wild thought, she added, "Actually, maybe the Emperor likes Seal-holding Xiao himself? Otherwise, why does he always oppose him? Just to get his attention."
This remark forced Wanwan's tears back, and she laughed, scolding her, "Nonsense! If they heard you, they'd have your tongue pulled out!" Then she sighed. "What can be done? This brother of mine really makes me furious. If he were content to be a leisurely prince, he could have lived a fulfilling life... Here I am, anxious and worried for him, while he spends his days pondering such things and even asks for my opinion. What am I supposed to say?"
In the end, she gave up on catching crabs and returned sadly to her study. She ground ink and wrote him a reply, saying she missed her Imperial Brother dearly and respectfully wished him boundless blessings and peace. As for appointing Tongyun as Empress, such a matter must not even be discussed. A humble person like her is unworthy of such a grand position. Moreover, she already belongs to someone—she is not an unattached woman from outside. If the Remonstrance Officials were to protest with their lives, they would go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to weep before the ancestors. Imperial Brother should wait a little longer. You can conduct a new selection and choose a good young lady from a scholarly family to appoint as Empress. With spiritual compatibility, you could recite poetry and exchange verses together in the future—wouldn't that be delightful?
The letter was sent, but whether it would persuade him remained unknown for now. She understood his temperament: once he set his heart on something, if he couldn't accomplish it today, he would surely do so tomorrow. Sometimes she couldn't help but feel disheartened. What use was all her worrying? The one in power paid no heed to affairs of state. Even if she ground herself to dust, she couldn't save this vast empire.
Fortunately, Liangshi was different from him. Setting aside the matter of troops, as a husband, he was at least devoted.
You could sense whether someone truly cared for you. With so many temptations outside, she had also used her wits. He constantly attended official social engagements—what kind of place was the Qinhuai River? A realm of song and dance, of decadence and extravagance. That winding river held who knew how much rouge and powder in its depths. When the lanterns lit up at dusk, the painted boats were adorned with lights on all sides, wine and beauty dazzling the eyes. Those beauties eager to leave their profession cared little for propriety; becoming someone's mistress was still better than entertaining guests and selling their charms. She had sent agents to secretly keep an eye on him. A person's character is truly tested in the world of pleasure. The agents' report did not disappoint her. It was said that while drinking, there were indeed companions by his side, but they were merely embellishments, harmless and insignificant. The officials, after several rounds of wine, lost all semblance of dignity, indulging in debauchery. The Prince paid for their overnight stays and returned to his own residence alone. She knew what happened afterward: he returned to her room and slept peacefully beside her. When she was thirsty at night, he would fetch her water. If she kicked off the covers, he would tuck her back in. Such attentive care was far better than having palace maids attend through the night.
Her mind filled with troubles, she decided to wait for him at the mansion gate. From afar, she saw a sedan chair approaching from the alley. It stopped, and a long-time attendant stepped forward to lift the curtain. As he alighted, his expression was unpleasant. He complained about the sedan chair being unsteady and entered the gate in a huff.When he got angry, she felt a bit afraid, thinking she was like Lan Zhou, still quite intimidated by him. Hovering by the door, unsure whether to approach, he suddenly spotted her, his expression instantly softening as he hurried over.
"Why are you here?" He grabbed her hand, unable to hide the delight in his tone.
She said, "I was feeling unhappy today and wanted to see you sooner. Were you unhappy too?"
He was candid, "Earlier, yes, but I've already forgotten about it." Then he asked why she was unhappy. After hesitating, she finally said she wanted to eat bean curd and duck tongue soup.
He was straightforward, taking off his hat and tossing it to Rong Bao, pointing north as he said, "Fire Tile Alley has everything. Whatever you like to eat, I'll take you there."
Since their last trip to Huaining, she hadn't left the residence again. The Imperial Concubine said it wasn't safe outside and that she should wait until Liangshi was available to go out. But he had been so busy that she ended up passing the time by fishing for crabs by the lake. Today was a fortunate coincidence—he was taking her out, which made her very happy. When she was joyful, she still smiled with her lips pressed together, but the warm affection flowed from the corners of her eyes, sweet and lovely.
There were cultural differences between the north and south. People in Beijing were accustomed to calling narrow, long streets "hutongs," while those in Nanjing called them "alleys." Fire Tile Alley wasn't as pleasant-sounding as Beijing's Flower Depth Hutong, but its snacks were exceptional. Bean curd was actually what should be called stinky tofu—strange how its smell was so unpleasant, yet it tasted so fragrant. And duck tongue soup—Xiao You had bought it once before, and when she tasted it, she felt it was the flavor from her memories of a past life, unforgettable after just one bite.
The two of them found a corner to sit down and ate with full concentration. Because it was hot and she was sweating, he fanned her quietly from behind with one hand. When she was full, she let out a burp and immediately flushed red. Soon, he also burped, smiling at her to show that it happened to everyone.
They strolled through the ghost market, but unfortunately, too many people recognized him. At a glance, they immediately knelt and kowtowed. Wanwan lost her enthusiasm for incognito exploration and tugged at his sleeve, saying they should go back. They could disguise themselves another day to come out properly.
Walking slowly through the night, he was still concerned about her unhappiness and pressed for the reason. After some thought, Wanwan reasoned that The Emperor's undisguised intentions would eventually be made public, so she brought up Tongyun.
He was also surprised, "Tongyun is, after all, Xiao Duo's wife. Even if it's only in name, she was properly married. This doesn't seem appropriate."
She sighed. How could she explain? It was all because her Brother had that particular taste.
"And you? What were you unhappy about earlier?"
He simply said it was nothing—minor issues often arose at the borders of the various fiefdoms, and it had been like this for years. He told her not to worry, as he could handle it.
"However, while drinking with King Chengdu yesterday, someone kept watching me from the shadows. I don't know why." He stopped when they reached Guangyi Street, looking at her with a smile. "Guess who that person tracking me was?"
Wanwan's heart skipped a beat, but she naturally played dumb. "It must have been someone kind, worried you'd drink too much and planning to escort you back later."
"But I know he entered the palace and spoke with the Inner Attendant, Yu Xixia."
Seeing that her scheme was exposed, she couldn't keep pretending. She mumbled, "It was me... I was afraid you'd drink too much.""Afraid I might lose control after drinking?" He smiled meaningfully. "If I were that kind of man, would I have waited two whole months after our wedding? If I had wanted to, back then..." He placed his hand on her abdomen. "Our son would already be growing inside you."
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