Wаnwаn's fаce turnеd раlе with аnger. What had hе dоne wrong tо deservе bеing рunishеd with knееling? Unable tо get answers from others, shе оrderеd a раlасe аttеndаnt tо fеtch аn umbrella, oреned it, аnd hurried toward Нarmonу Hall.
Yu Хiхiа fоllоwеd bеhind without a wоrd, stеpрing fоrwаrd onlу to suррort her. Shе wаlked tоo hastily, hеr waist and abdоmеn аching, fоrcing her to stор аnd rest. Lооking uр, shе sаw mist rising in thе distanсе, the рaviliоns and towеrs shroudеd in сlоuds. Leаning оn hеr knеes to cаtch her breath, she sаid tearfully, "Нow cоuld he mаkе him kneеl in such heavy rain..."
Her own husband—she was the one who truly felt his pain. Since having a child, husband and wife had become even more inseparable. Any grievance he suffered hurt her more than it hurt him. He was a feudal prince, second only to the emperor, yet here he was reduced to such a pitiful state. How could her heart bear it?
Yu Xixia held the umbrella with one hand and firmly supported her with the other. "Your Highness, lean on me if you feel unwell. Don’t worry too much. The Prince is a martial arts practitioner. A little hardship like this won’t break him."
She struggled to catch her breath, straightened up, and continued forward, resenting the seemingly endless embankment. Finally, she entered Harmony Gate, turned past the screen wall, and saw someone kneeling at the end of the central path. His round-collared robe was soaked through with rain, the red color glowing even brighter. He always stood tall and unyielding, his back straight as a rod. Even battered by wind and rain, he would rather break than bend.
Seeing this scene, Wanwan felt her heart shatter. Her own brother treating him like this—how was she to navigate between them?
Suddenly, she grew fearful, worried that he might harbor resentment, and that things would backfire in the end. Taking the umbrella, she walked to his side. He lifted his eyes to look at her, his gaze heavy with dark clouds. Some things didn’t need to be said—she already knew the outcome.
She wept uncontrollably. As husband and wife locked eyes, they seemed like a pair of star-crossed lovers. Too disheartened to speak, how could he explain to her that he couldn’t take her with him? She had to stay alone in the capital until the city fell... All he could do was hoarsely apologize, "Only now do I realize how utterly powerless I am."
Wanwan’s hand gripped the umbrella handle tightly, her fingertips turning white. Rolling up her sleeve, she wiped the rain from his face and smiled bitterly. "I don’t blame you. It’s my own misfortune. Long ago, my father had the Director of the Directorate of Astronomy read my fortune. He said my bones were noble but that I would have no support from family. My father was furious—how could a princess have no family to rely on? But now it seems those words have come true. So I won’t blame fate or others. This is simply my destiny."
Her despair only deepened his self-reproach. In truth, his prolonged kneeling had a purpose: to push matters to the extreme, forcing both Murong Gaogong and himself to commit to a path with no turning back, one they must follow unwaveringly. Another layer of meaning was to make her see her dear brother for who he was, compelling her to choose between them. Disaster was inevitable in the future, and preparing now would prevent their marriage from falling apart when it arrived. He hoped she could continue as his princess consort—or even empress—with peace of mind, severing her ties to the Murong family. That decaying name was no longer worth her loyalty.She wanted to kneel beside him, but he stopped her sharply, "If you won't think of yourself, at least think of the child. Go back, go home and wait for me. I won't leave you without family to rely on. That Imperial Astronomer deserves not just punishment—he deserves death!"
How could she possibly go back now? All she could think of was sharing hardship with him. Summer had already passed, and each autumn rain brought more chill. His face had turned pale, and fearing he was cold, she took off her own cloak and draped it over him.
"I'll go reason with The Emperor. He can't bully people like this." She handed the umbrella to Yu Xixia, ordering him to wait there, then braved the rain into Harmony Hall. Asking the palace attendants inside, she learned that The Emperor had gone to Greenery Welcoming Hall, where his meditation chamber was. If he had entered deep meditation, he wouldn't emerge for at least two hours.
He shouted behind her, forbidding her to go, but she paid no heed. How long could they keep kneeling like this?
The wind blew her hair loose, her skirt and shoes soaked through. When she entered Greenery Welcoming Hall, she left a winding trail of wet footprints on the floor, stretching from the front hall all the way to the rear.
From the Warm Pavilion came muffled laughter and flirtatious sounds. The Emperor, despite his supposed devotion to the Dao, was far from ascetic. He knew well how to indulge himself and never denied his own pleasures.
Chongmao, seeing her arrival, hurried forward to dissuade her, but before he could speak, she flung her sleeve and harshly snapped, "Get out!" Startled by her appearance, Chongmao stared wide-eyed as she kicked open the Water Caltrop Flower Door of the Warm Pavilion.
The Emperor was embracing a woman, both of them naked and rolling together on a meditation mat. Just as they were about to proceed, the door suddenly swung open, startling him so badly he nearly lost his composure. He was about to curse, but upon recognizing his sister, he was instantly both shocked and flustered, grabbing clothes to cover himself and even forgetting about the woman.
"You... you insolent wretch!" he roared in shame and anger. "What madness is this!"
Wanwan simply stared at him, her gaze filled with contempt. "What fine leisure you have, Brother. While you amuse yourself here, you make my man kneel on Celestial Street. What kind of heart do you have!"
The Emperor was truly enraged, his head spinning as he clutched a pile of clothes to his chest. The woman was still screaming, and he kicked her away. "Stop wailing like you're at a funeral! Get out, get out!" The woman scrambled to escape under his repeated shouts. He pleaded, "Wanwan, turn around first, let me put on my clothes..."
She glared coldly at him. "I'm going to Ancestral Hall to weep before our parents!"
The Emperor choked for a moment. "When did you learn to act like such a rogue? Your brother isn't dressed, and you're still staring at me?"
A naked person is usually psychologically fragile. Though Wanwan was still somewhat flustered by such a scene, she handled it better than The Emperor. She said, "I ask Your Majesty to order my man to rise. If his knees are ruined from kneeling, I will never forgive you, Brother, even in death."
The Emperor thought he must have encountered a ghost—it wasn't even him who had ordered the kneeling. But there was no time to argue right and wrong now. He hurriedly shouted outside, "Chongmao, let the Prince of Nanyuan rise, no more kneeling." Then he put on airs to scold his sister. "Always saying 'my man'—you're a princess, not some country bumpkin. Where did you learn such vulgar language!"
Wanwan snorted coldly. "I like calling him that, so what? When you traded me for someone's concubine back then, why didn't you tell me you planned to make things difficult for him later? Now that I'm carrying his child, you torment him like this—are you trying to kill me?"The Emperor’s legs were trembling so much they felt like they were twisting. Shaking uncontrollably, he pleaded, “Let’s not argue about this now. Can you let your brother put his clothes on first…?”
She glared at his wretched appearance, gritting her teeth and saying, “You’ve done something so shameless you’ve lost all face, why bother with clothes now!”
The Emperor’s voice cracked as he shouted, “You insolent… lawless wretch, you’re too arrogant! If you want to cry to our parents, I’ll go cry too… Turn around, do you hear me!”
But he knew his sister’s temper—once she was stubborn, not even ten oxen could pull her back. Helpless, the Emperor had no choice but to run behind the screen bare-bottomed, scrambling to put on his robe.
Once fully dressed, he regained his dignified appearance. Stepping out, he glanced at her damp dress and spoke gently, “Your feet are wet, you’ll catch a chill. Change your shoes first, then we can talk.”
Wanwan was so angry she burst into tears, standing there wiping her eyes. “Brother, you always loved me dearly when we were young. When Mother had just passed, I was so ill I could barely think straight, and it was you who stayed by my side day and night, taking care of me. But as people grow older, their hearts grow bigger too. Do you still remember how we siblings relied on each other back then? Now all you think about is scheming against me—how can my heart not turn cold? If you never intended to spare him, you shouldn’t have let me get involved with him in the first place. Using such tactics now isn’t punishing him—it’s punishing me.”
She was filled with resentment and needed to vent, and the Emperor allowed her to do so. In this matter, she was indeed wronged, but those born into imperial families had never had it easy. Throughout history, there had been no shortage of Imperial Consorts who seized power. If he didn’t take control early, once Yuwen Liangshi gained influence, things would become much more difficult.
He fixed his gaze on her, speaking word by word, “You only blame me, but what about yourself? Before your marriage, what did I tell you? Yet once you married, you lost even your own backbone along the way. What do you see in the Prince of Nanyuan? Do you see the prosperity and peace in Jiangnan and think he has the talent to govern, so you turn your favor outward? Remember this—no matter how wealthy Jiangnan is, it is still part of Great Ye’s territory. Today, I can let him rule as a prince; tomorrow, I can remove him from power! With the Six Reins in my hands, I must balance the realm. The Prince of Nanyuan is not the only one I need to control. Great Ye has eight Feudal Princes. Since Emperor Qinzong’s reign, the policy has been to weaken them, but after all these years, has it succeeded? The power of the Feudal Princes cannot be underestimated. With the imperial court’s strength alone, it is impossible to defeat them one by one. I must use one force to counter another. In your last letter to me, you mentioned corrupt grain being transported to the Guizhou Bureau. I know Wang Ding has long been restless, but he fears the other Feudal Princes and has hesitated to act. For a Feudal Prince not to amass troops is nothing but self-deception. I won’t hide it from you—what I must guard against now is not the others, but an alliance between the Southern Garden and the Guizhou Bureau. If these two forces join hands, half of Great Ye will collapse. Yuwen Liangshi is usually detestable, but when it comes to cooperation, he is a valuable asset. If I let him live in comfort, what should I do if he one day turns rebellious?”
He spoke at length, and though it all sounded like twisted logic, upon closer thought, there was truth to it. Wanwan lowered her sleeves and asked, “Has Brother never considered winning him over, only intending to pressure him relentlessly?”
The Emperor said no. “How have I not tried to win him over? I even gave him my own sister in marriage—what more could I do?”
Generous with others’ sacrifices, using her as an exchange, and then taking back what had been given—this was what he called “winning him over.”Wanwan looked at him dejectedly, "Such handling is worse than doing nothing at all. Others have already warmed it in their embrace, and you suddenly change your mind—won't that only push them further away?"
The Emperor gazed at her and smiled faintly, "It won't. With you here, the Prince of Nanyuan won't go far. And there's another thing you must remember: if the Imperial Consort rebels, the princess shares the same guilt. Wanwan, our father's empire cannot be lost in our hands. Otherwise, when we descend to the afterlife, we will have no face to meet our ancestors."
"If the Imperial Consort rebels, the princess shares the same guilt"—these words truly struck at the heart of the matter. Wanwan hadn't expected him to say such a thing. For a moment, she felt as if she had fallen into an icy cellar, a chilling cold spreading through her entire body. Fearing she might collapse, she steadied herself against the moon-shaped table and asked, "When will Your Majesty allow me to return to Nanyuan? Tell me, is there still hope in this lifetime?"
He thought for a moment and replied, "It depends on the situation. If the Prince of Nanyuan remains obedient and I am completely reassured of his loyalty, I will naturally allow you and your husband to reunite."
Later, she couldn't even recall how she had walked out of the palace gates. From a distance, she saw Liangshi rushing toward her through the rain. Under the Winged Virtue Crown, rainwater streamed down the hair at his temples. He grasped her arms and examined her closely, "Did the Emperor give you a hard time? Running into such a situation, yet you still barged in—are you foolish?"
Tears mingled with the rain as she squinted slightly, letting out a soft sob, "Let's go home."
Home was merely the Eldest Princess Residence in Beijing. That morning, when she had left, she had heard crows cawing—an ill omen, and indeed, everything had ended in utter defeat. The Emperor had issued another new decree: unless there were urgent military or political matters, the Prince of Nanyuan was not to leave his feudal territory. In other words, both sides were confined, cutting off any hope they might have harbored.
Wanwan said nothing. She ordered hot water prepared and personally wiped his back. His broad shoulders and narrow waist bore not an ounce of excess flesh. Scooping water and pouring it over him, droplets scattered and fell across his shoulders and back, making his shoulder blades appear full and lustrous. Forcing a smile, she kissed him lightly, "My Imperial Consort is truly a perfect man."
He turned around and embraced her tightly, "Wanwan, you see how he is forcing us..."
She lowered her gaze, weighing her words carefully before saying, "I can give you nothing more. When the child is born, I will take good care of him. Listen to me—without me by your side, it won't do for you to be alone. Bring the three Secondary Consorts back. The children will have someone to rely on, and there will be someone to attend to the Imperial Concubine as well."
He frowned in displeasure, "What are you saying? If you don't return now, does that mean you'll never return in this lifetime? Wait a little longer. I have my own way to force him to send you back to Nanyuan."
If it truly came to that, they would likely have torn all pretense apart, and what would follow would be chaos across the land, with the people suffering.
She gazed at him intently, "Liangshi, have you ever harbored thoughts of rebellion?"
Her sudden question startled him.
How should he answer? Say that he was currently plotting? Wouldn't that confirm the Emperor's suspicions and make her feel that everything that followed was his own fault? He lacked the courage to admit it. Even under such oppression, he still had to maintain a facade of peace. So he said no, "My loyalty to the Emperor is unwavering, as heaven and earth can bear witness."
She breathed a sigh of relief, "It's good that you haven't. As long as we can reassure him, there will still be a day when we can be together again."After all, she was not like those indulgent and reckless princesses of the Tang Dynasty. He knew it would never be possible for her to usurp her brother's throne. But what should he do now? Could he truly only endure stubbornly? The Emperor changed his mind constantly—today it was one thing, but who knew what new schemes he would come up with tomorrow!
Yet she was as soft as spring water, leaning in close, her pale green sleeping robe outlining a figure as slender as a willow. Steam rose in wisps, and through the mist, she appeared as beautiful as when he first saw her. He raised his hand, fingertips still damp, and traced lightly between her brows. "I shall paint my lady's brows—her eyes like rippling waves, her brows like distant mountains... If you ask where my heart lies, it is in the depths of her gaze."
She chuckled softly. "You've twisted the poem like this. If Wang Guan were alive, he'd surely give you a beating."
He replied, "I know martial arts—he wouldn't be able to beat me." As he spoke, he nimbly stepped out of the bathtub, scooped her up in his arms, and they tumbled together into the soft bedding.
"Hasn't it already been three months?" The bright candlelight on the table cast a warm glow on her face. He studied her carefully—this face he had seen countless times, yet he never grew tired of it. Sometimes he felt a strange fear, for he could never quite remember her features. In her presence, she felt familiar, but once apart, only a vague outline remained, leaving his longing forever unfulfilled.
Wanwan felt a little shy but mustered her courage, clasping her hands together and resting them delicately on his shoulders. "Last night, you fell asleep so quickly... I knew you were tired..."
Her tone carried a hint of disappointment. So she, too, had longed for their reunion, for the passion that should have followed their brief separation—not like the night before.
He smiled, a golden glint flashing in his eyes, temporarily forgetting the troubles the Emperor had caused them. At least tonight, he would not let it go to waste.
He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "With you by my side last night, I slept soundly. In the past month, I’ve never felt as at peace as I did then. Now that I’ve regained my strength, we can do something else today."
Her face flushed, and she whispered softly, "I’m afraid... of jostling my belly."
His kisses trailed downward as he murmured in response, "I know my limits. I’ll be careful."
Wanwan gazed up at the canopy, the sheer gauze curtains as thin as a wisp of smoke. Her eyes filled with tears, and she thought closing them might hold back the flood, but it was no use. He noticed, kissing the corners of her eyes, and then let out a long sigh that shattered her heart.
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