Yеt dеep down, shе still сlung to a fаint hopе—реrhарs Sеcond Вrother truly hadn’t recеivеd Liangshi’s mеmoriаl аnd rеmаined unаwаrе оf hеr prеgnancy. If shе wаited а couplе more dаys, what if hе rеаllу issuеd а nеw order fоr hеr to rеst in реaсe? Wаnwаn waited аnхiouslу, but three daуs passed withоut аnу news.
Yаn Sunlang camе tо рaу his rеsресts, bоwing as hе sаid, “Your Нighness rеfusing to deрart is sесоndarу tо mу inаbility to reрort to the imperiаl court. But if wе delaу toо lоng, it will ultimatеly implicate the Prince. I beg Your Highness to reconsider.”
Wanwan felt she had almost abandoned her dignity, clutching her stomach and claiming discomfort. “Setting off now might cost me my life…”
Yan Sunlang was at a loss. Though he wasn’t as close to the Princess Royal as Xiao Duo, he had watched her grow up. The Princess Royal was usually so proud and dignified—seeing her like this was truly lamentable.
“Then tomorrow it is. Tomorrow is the final deadline. If we exceed it, the charge of deceiving the sovereign will fall…” He glanced upward; the Princess Royal’s face was deathly pale. Unable to finish, he bowed and quietly withdrew.
In the end, she had to leave. When Wanwan emerged from the Tower of Profound Grace, Yan Sunlang had gained an extra day, reaping ample rewards.
The entire household gathered at the gate to see her off. The Imperial Concubine wore a worried expression, holding her hand as she said, “No matter what, your well-being comes first. Be mindful of your diet. If something doesn’t agree with you, as long as it’s nourishing, try to eat more. The child is at a stage of rapid growth now. If the mother’s body is deprived, it’s the child who suffers.” She paused, gazing at her with infinite affection. “My dear child, I truly don’t want you to go. Our family was so harmonious, and now it’s come to this…”
Having said all that needed to be said, Wanwan struggled to control herself, replying only, “E’nie, don’t be sad. I’ll return after visiting Master Cheng.”
The Brothers Lanzhou gathered around her, softly calling “E’nie.” She smiled, gently patting their heads, then turned and boarded the Imperial Carriage.
Liangshi accompanied her to Peach Leaf Ferry. The two sat quietly across from each other, wordless. After a long while, she reached out, her soft palm covering the back of his hand, and gave it a firm squeeze. “We agreed to part happily. What’s with this look of yours? Do you want to make me sad?”
Only then did he manage a smile. “I’m calculating the timing, figuring out the best day to depart.” He carefully considered it. “From Nanjing to Beijing, it’s over two thousand li. By water, traveling day and night, it takes fifteen days. If I take the land route to the capital, at most three days—pushing it, two and a half days will do… So I’ll set off on the twelfth of August and arrive in the capital just in time for the fifteenth. I remember last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, we spent it together. This time will be the same.” His nose tingled with emotion, but he dared not let her see, lowering his head to press her hand to his lips.
Wanwan recalled that time when she had been harassed, and he had come to her rescue. Even then, she had felt a fondness for him. This year, she had thought everything would proceed smoothly, but now they were to become like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, separated by the Milky Way.
She swallowed her tears and smiled, saying, “Good. I’ll prepare a feast under the moon, waiting for you.”
He, too, was afraid—afraid she would be like a shooting star, briefly streaking across his sky, leaving no trace behind. So he rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm toward her.
Wanwan looked at him, bewildered. “What’s this?”He said, "Bite me, bite me hard, as if leaving a mark on me, so that I can never escape you in this lifetime."
She laughed at his foolishness. "That would hurt so much..."
But he insisted, "It only counts if it draws blood."
She could no longer laugh; now this matter truly carried the fervor and intensity of a blood oath. She looked down at his arm, which had held her so many times, as familiar as her own. She couldn’t bring herself to bite it—what if she hurt him? He extended his arm further, urging her on. After struggling for a long while, knowing his stubborn nature, she finally took a deep breath, grabbed his arm, and bit down hard.
The skin and flesh made a gritty, cracking sound. She tasted something like rust and was startled. Quickly looking up at him, she saw he hadn’t even frowned. Instead, he admired the delicate ring of teeth marks with a look of satisfaction.
Wanwan took out a handkerchief to bandage his wound, then rolled up her sleeve and offered her own arm. "Now you bite me, so I can take it back to Beijing."
He caressed her fair, slender arm for a long time. "If I bite down, half your arm might break."
Without a trace of fear, she said, "I’m not afraid. Bite me."
He indeed brought his mouth close, pretending to bite lightly a couple of times, but in the end, he only gave it a fierce kiss. "I can’t risk hurting the mother of my son."
Wanwan threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly and softly calling his name. He had held up his defenses for so long, but this simple act of hers shattered them completely. She was newly pregnant and needed him now more than ever, yet he couldn’t stay by her side. Until he reached the pinnacle of power, he was not his own master—he couldn’t even keep the woman he loved.
In the dim light of the carriage, he found her lips, and the kiss tasted bitter. She clung to his neck, often acting like a little girl—awkward yet stubbornly doing things only adults should do. They had kissed so many times, and she had always been passive, but this time she suddenly took the lead, as if in a bizarre, end-of-the-world revelry. He cupped her face and murmured, "Don’t be like this..." only to realize she was already drenched in tears.
How he hated it—he wished he could tear Murong Gaogong to pieces, but he had to endure. Rolling up his sleeve, he gently wiped her tears and comforted her softly, "It’s alright, it’s alright... It’s only a month, and it will pass quickly."
Sobbing, she straightened up and tugged at his hand. "Liangshi, you must set off on August 12th."
In the end, she boarded the fortune ship. The ship’s gunwale was so high that once she stepped onto the deck, she could no longer see the ground. The sails billowed, slowly carrying the ship away from the port. She stood on the deck, staring vacantly at the sky, unable for a moment to distinguish the color of the heavens—it wasn’t blue but resembled the weathered bronze knocker on the gate of a courtyard house.
In her life, she had sailed twice. The first time was half a year ago, for her marriage as a princess, when she was filled with despair and resignation. This time was the return journey, circling back to the starting point, yet the torment along the way was even greater than before. On the way here, she hadn’t suffered from seasickness—she ate and slept as usual, feeling quite at ease. This time was different. Perhaps it was due to morning sickness, but she constantly felt nauseous, to the point where even the sight of a basin frightened her. Tong Huan and the others always urged her to eat more, saying she should eat even if she vomited afterward. If her stomach was empty, she would only retch bile—what would the Heir Apparent do then? So, for the sake of the child, she had to eat. Her throat burned with pain, but she swallowed mouthfuls anyway. A mother’s strength, perhaps, was just like this.When her feet touched the ground, she had already grown much thinner, her eyes sunken and hollow. The Emperor was startled at the sight. "How did you become like this?"
She wore no smile, kneeling properly to pay respects: "Your humble sister has received the decree to return to the capital for an audience. Long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty."
The Emperor could sense the distance in her voice. The hand he intended to offer to help her up stiffened slightly, but he still extended it.
"Wanwan, we are flesh and blood, closest kin. Don't be so formal with your brother." He helped her up, studying her carefully. Her features were still as he remembered, but her spirit seemed low, somewhat dispirited. He assisted her to sit, standing beside her himself, half-bowed as he said, "You've been at the Southern Garden for so long. I've worried about you every day, fearing Yuwen Liangshi might treat you poorly. Now that I see you, it's true—how have you grown so thin? That old traitor Yuwen, he has failed in serving his master!"
The Emperor was wearing a meditation robe, barefoot, having just emerged from the alchemy chamber. His eyelids were reddened from the fumes, giving him a somewhat mystical and eccentric appearance. Wanwan rose helplessly. "Second Brother, I am with child. The journey was exhausting, and I suffered terribly from seasickness. It's only natural that I've grown thin. It has nothing to do with Old Traitor Yuwen."
The Emperor felt awkward at her words, especially since he himself felt guilty. He had originally intended to seize on this issue, but unexpectedly, it circled back to himself, leaving him with an indescribable sense of embarrassment.
He shuffled his bare feet, pacing twice on the wooden floor. "Oh, oh, I remember now. I did receive a memorial saying you were with child." Immediately switching to a delighted expression, he laughed heartily. "Father and Mother in heaven must be overjoyed at the news. Even Wanwan is having a child. Our generation is finally growing, branching out, and bearing fruit, destined to bring glory to our Great Ye in the future!" Clapping his hands again, he added, "We must choose an auspicious time to go to the Ancestral Hall and offer prayers to Father and Mother, sharing this good news with them. I will also host a grand banquet, inviting all civil and military officials to welcome your return to the palace."
A shadow of gloom crossed Wanwan's face. A grand banquet for all officials, yet Liangshi alone was not permitted to enter the capital. His intention to separate husband and wife was already a settled matter.
She took a deep breath. "Brother, I am utterly exhausted and cannot endure a grand banquet. Later, I will go see the Empress Dowager. It has been a while since I last saw her."
The Emperor paused. "The Empress Dowager? An insignificant person. Seeing her or not makes no difference."
She had been away from the Forbidden City for half a year. It seemed that aside from the matter with Yin Lou, there had been other changes. Judging by his tone, he did not hold the Empress Dowager in high regard. After all, she was Father's principal consort; her status remained.
She disliked his arrogant tone and frowned. "She is, after all, the Empress Dowager."
The Emperor grew impatient. "Always nagging, meddling in everything, taking advantage of my good temper to act as if she rules over me! If it weren't for ancestral rules preventing the removal of the Empress Dowager, I would have sent her to the Northern Five Compounds long ago to clear her head."
Wanwan wondered if this was meant as a warning to her. If not to flaunt his authority before her, then perhaps his recent obsession with cultivation had driven him to delusion.
She restrained herself but could bear it no longer, preparing to take her leave. "Second Brother, please forgive me for not being able to stay long. I am unwell and feel uncomfortable sitting for too long. Since I have already returned to the capital, there will be plenty of time ahead. Allow me to rest, and we can catch up later."The Emperor pursed his lips, frowning as he looked at her. "Wanwan, I am very pleased to see you, but you seem different from me. What is it? Does the water of the Southern Garden nurture people so well that it has made you forget even your own flesh and blood?"
If asked about her true feelings, she really wanted to argue with him fiercely, but she knew she could not. After such a long time apart, his thoughts had become increasingly difficult to fathom. If he were to lose his temper, she herself would not mind, but she feared he might vent his dissatisfaction on Liangshi—that would be disastrous.
She could only speak to him gently: "Your Majesty blames me so, I cannot bear the guilt. How could I not be happy to see my brother? But the sovereign is the sovereign, and the subject is the subject. I am no longer a child; I cannot cling to my brother, lest you later scold me for being ignorant." Wearily, she called for the Inner Attendant and instructed him to present the items brought into the Western Sea. "The Prince knows that Your Majesty appreciates fine stationery. The Duan Inkstone, Jade Slip Paper, Pine Soot Ink, and San Zhuo Brush—each piece is the work of a master craftsman, painstakingly acquired. The Prince said that with the current busy affairs in the Southern Garden, he cannot come to the capital to pay his respects, so he asked me to convey his regards to Your Majesty on his behalf. Once the matters concerning the disaster victims in Huaining are fully resolved, he will come to the palace to kowtow and offer his respects."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's expression softened slightly, though he still asked, "Does the Prince of Nanyuan treat you well?"
She replied that he did. "He is respectful and knows his place. In his daily words and actions, he never oversteps."
Perhaps what ordinary households consider "good" is marital harmony, but for the imperial family, it is far more than that. They place greater emphasis on whether those who receive heavenly favor remain vigilant—even whether their attitude is humble when handing you something, whether they use both hands to present it. Thus, those who marry a princess do not have it easy. While ordinary men may enjoy comforts at home, for an Imperial Consort, a single misstep that offends his wife could lead to a catastrophic disaster.
The Emperor had indeed been keeping an eye on her married life, and it was as she said—their relationship as husband and wife was relatively harmonious; otherwise, they would not have been able to conceive a child. He was just a bit saddened. Yuwen Liangshi was a thorn in the side of Great Ye, and if Wanwan had truly developed feelings for him now, things would become difficult in the future.
He clasped his hands behind his back, lost in thought. "In the letter you wrote to me last time, you mentioned that refugees along the Huaining line had become a disaster. Did you really go there to see for yourself?"
Wanwan confirmed it. "It is true that Huaining County Magistrate Sha Wansheng privately sold disaster relief grain. As for where these hundred thousand dan of grain were transported, I presume Your Majesty has already investigated and uncovered the truth. As a woman, I should not recklessly discuss state affairs. I can only rely on Your Majesty's wisdom to protect the State Altars, eliminate treacherous sycophants, and ensure that loved ones do not suffer while enemies rejoice."
The Emperor nodded very slowly. "I understand. It is my fortune that my little sister cares for the State Altars. You mentioned earlier that you were tired, and it has been such a long delay—it must have been difficult for you. Very well, you may go and rest now. The Cultivating Virtue Palace is still reserved for you."
Once she moved into the palace, she would have to sever all ties with the outside world—this was absolutely unacceptable. She smiled and said, "As I said before, I ask that Your Majesty allocate the Cultivating Virtue Palace to the consorts below, so they may live more comfortably. As for me, a married daughter has no reason to re-enter the palace. It would be better for me to stay at the Eldest Princess Residence. I have yet to see the new residence, so this is a good opportunity to take a look."
The Emperor said that was fine and turned to call Yan Sunlang. "Dispatch personnel from the Silk-clad Guard to properly guard the Eldest Princess Residence. If there is any negligence, I will have you subjected to the Sky Lantern Punishment!"Yan Sunlang respectfully acknowledged and gestured for Your Highness to proceed. Wanwan felt uneasy inside, suspecting that what was called protection was likely house arrest in reality. This brother of hers truly went to extremes.
Leaning on Yu Xixia’s arm, she slowly descended the steps and turned her head toward Yan Sunlang. “Trouble the Junior Director to convey my apologies to the Empress Dowager. Having just arrived in the capital today, I truly lack the energy to enter the palace. I shall pay my respects to her tomorrow.”
Yan Sunlang bowed slightly. “Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, knowing of Your Highness’s pregnancy, certainly will not take offense in this matter. Your Highness should rest first. After all, the journey has been exhausting—you seem rather weary. Perhaps it would be better to enter the palace once you have recovered your strength.”
As she walked along the embankment, her state of mind was already vastly different from the previous year. Squinting into the distance, she noticed several new pavilions added to this Imperial Park, all built for The Emperor’s Taoist practices. While the northern regions suffered from hardship, The Emperor still found leisure to construct towers—truly reminiscent of Emperor Hui of Jin’s “Why not eat meat porridge?” remark.
She let out a long sigh. “This journey has been much indebted to Lord Yan. When I next see The Emperor, I shall request a reward for you.”
Yan Sunlang humbly declined, “This was merely my duty. Moreover, the Prince repeatedly emphasized the matter. Even considering the friendship between the Prince and this humble official, I was bound to ensure Your Highness’s safe arrival in the capital.”
Thinking of Liangshi, Wanwan felt a slight warmth. She lowered her hand to gently stroke her belly. Though the child was still small, aside from making her vomit endlessly, it had almost no presence. Yet she knew there was a little life inside, bringing her a sense of peace and making her feel less alone.
Fortunately, her new residence was not far, located in Eastern Commander's Mansion Lane—a magnificent four-courtyard estate. Sadly, she was too exhausted to pause and admire it, passing straight through the second gate. Tong Huan and Xiao You were already waiting for her in the Main Chamber, having prepared everything. They attended to her until she lay down, then quietly withdrew.
She slept so deeply that upon waking, she had no idea where she was. Staring blankly at the sunlit, glaringly white courtyard for a long while, she finally remembered she had returned to Beijing. Instantly, a wave of loneliness and desolation engulfed her. Sitting motionless, her tears soaked the front of her robe.
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