Wei Zheng and his wife, who had been kept in the dark, were naturally shocked. Upon hearing the reason, they repeatedly called it "nonsense" and refused to agree to cancel the engagement. However, General Cheng was straightforward. He said, first, your daughter has someone else in her heart—a young prince, the Son of Heaven’s younger brother—and the two are deeply in love and willing. Even if this marriage were forced, it would only lead to endless troubles. At his age, why would he want to stir up unnecessary trouble and disrupt family harmony? Second, if Wei Xuancheng refused to cancel the engagement, he could hand over his daughter right then and there, and General Cheng would take her home to be honored as the Duchess and live their lives. As long as the daughter didn’t make a fuss, he would never bring up the past or hold grudges. The two families could continue their interactions as before, and he would still bow and call Wei Zheng his father-in-law when they met. What did he think of that?
Since Chancellor Wei could neither produce his daughter nor refute the claim that "the young lady has someone else in her heart," he had no choice but to reluctantly cancel the engagement. It was said that he flew into a rage at home for days, smashing pots and bowls, deeply resenting his eldest daughter for disgracing the family name.
After returning, Cheng Yaojin sought out Li Yuangui in private and explained the matter clearly. He patted his chest and assured him, "I’ve settled this with Xuancheng. To the outside world, we’ll just say that Li Chunfeng divined that the young lady should not marry for a few years. To pray for her mother’s blessings, she willingly renounced worldly life to become a Daoist nun. Thus, the two families canceled the engagement without damaging anyone’s reputation." Li Yuangui could only thank him repeatedly, knowing that General Cheng had done his utmost to preserve everyone’s dignity. Yet, in the palace and court, what secret could truly remain hidden? Before long, this scandal would likely spread among the imperial relatives, nobles, and high-ranking officials.
Thus, the reputation of Chancellor Wei’s eldest daughter was utterly ruined by Li Yuangui’s actions. As he spoke, he felt ashamed and guilty, imagining Wei Shufen must be grieving and resentful. To his surprise, the young woman, tying up her hair, merely gave a faint bitter smile, her expression calm:
"This is excellent. Now, free from any engagement, I can stay long-term at Purple Void Monastery, quietly studying medicine and scriptures with Sister Ying. As for my parents, I’ll find a way to reconcile with them gradually. Fourteenth Young Master, don’t worry about it. Even if I truly take the vows and receive an ordination certificate to devote my life to Daoist practice, I’d be willing..."
"How can that be?" Li Yuangui grew frantic. "If you become a nun, what about me? A-Fen, don’t you know my feelings? Wait for me a few years—I will definitely return—"
Return, and then what?
"Return with Princess Gaochang, your Princess of Wu, to Chang’an, and then, taking advantage of her being far from her homeland and powerless, divorce your lawful wife to marry me instead?" Wei Shufen gave him a sorrowful smile. "This goes against justice and reason. The Son of Heaven and the court might not even approve. And if you can’t divorce your wife? Would you take me as a concubine and dote on me more?"
It felt as if a knife had pierced Li Yuangui’s heart, leaving him breathless with pain. After a few gasps, he rasped, "By heaven and earth, I’ve never dared to think such a thing..."
"Even if you did, I wouldn’t agree. Rest assured."
Wei Shufen actually laughed as she spoke, taking the double-pronged hairpin from Li Yuangui’s hand and securing her bun at the side of her neck. Against the backdrop of the vast Green Field Palace behind her, her skin glowed like snow, and the graceful gesture of tucking her hair behind her ear was utterly captivating."You really don't need to worry about me. It's as if not marrying General Cheng means I must marry you, or preserve my reputation to marry into a good family—as if marriage is the only path for a woman, with nothing else to do in life but wed and bear children. I used to think the same, believing it was the natural order of things. But look at High Truth Master—everyone says she was forced to become a nun after her three fiancés died, how pitiful. Yet after living with her for some time, I've come to envy her! She's free and unfettered—is she any less than others? In terms of dignity and honor, how many women in the world could surpass her? Wherever she goes, she's met with flattery, even the Son of Heaven and the Empress treat her differently. If I don't marry and inherit her legacy, my life wouldn't be wasted."
Li Yuangui was speechless, finding her reasoning flawed yet unable to refute it. His heart swelled with irrepressible admiration as he stared at her, eyes stinging and nose burning.
"Don't look at me like that," Wei Shufen said, biting her lower lip with a faint smile, though her eyes also glistened. "Let's talk business... Weren't you asking why I was at Eternal Peace Palace?"
She recounted her story, glossing over her several escapes from the Wei household and focusing on her visits to the palace, the secrets she inadvertently overheard between the Emperor and Empress, and between father and son—especially the culprit behind the pregnancy of the Princess of Hailing. Li Yuangui grew increasingly alarmed and, before she could finish, urgently whispered, "You must never speak of these things to anyone else. You already know too much! In the depths of the palace, people vanish like grass without a sound. Do you realize how dangerous this is for you?"
"I do," Wei Shufen replied calmly. "In my current situation, what is there left to fear? Every day I live is a bonus... It's all my own fault for courting death. But before my time comes, I want to accomplish what I can, so I'll have no regrets in this life."
Li Yuangui thought of the two tasks he had just pledged to undertake before the Emperor—tasks he had indeed planned to complete with Wei Shufen—and found himself at a loss for words. Noticing his expression, the young woman gave a soft laugh and pulled out a thin scroll from her sleeve:
"This is the love letter from Consort Yang that I stole from the Imperial Bed. I haven't had the chance to read it yet. If you want to avoid suspicion and protect yourself, you'd better stay away."
What a thing to say... Li Yuangui leaned in, turning his face slightly as he placed a hand on Wei Shufen's waist to steady her while she unfolded the letter with both hands:
"Your guilty servant Yang bows solemnly and speaks:
Amid the sweltering midsummer heat, may Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and fare even better than usual at meals. This guilty servant, having received the Imperial Edict to relocate to the nunnery, feels as though granted a second life. I conduct myself with utmost caution, ensuring the proper upbringing and education of the girls. As the sun and moon wax and wane, and the intercalary months complete the year, I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's magnanimous grace and reverently heed the Imperial Edict. Through Duke Ande, I humbly present a silk pouch as a token. This memorial is submitted for Your Majesty's attention."
After reading, neither spoke. Li Yuangui silently reread it twice more before Wei Shufen voiced her disappointment first:
"She... didn't say anything at all."
On the surface, it was just an ordinary letter of greeting—not even explicitly mentioning "I am carrying your child and about to give birth," but instead vaguely alluding to it with phrases like "as the sun and moon wax and wane, and the intercalary months complete the year." There was no hint of impropriety, nor any revelation of secrets they didn't already know. Li Yuangui sighed. "Fourth Sister-in-Law has weathered many storms. She's shrewd and cautious in such matters, naturally considering the possibility of the letter falling into others' hands and taking precautions beforehand."Wei Shufen took another look at the letter, then suddenly her gaze sharpened as if remembering something. She folded the paper back to its original state and tucked it away, saying calmly, "It's alright. I know what to do now."
"What are you planning?" Li Yuangui asked warily. "Whether her family lives or dies now rests entirely in His Majesty's hands. Don't act recklessly and get yourself involved—"
"Stop worrying about me," Wei Shufen interrupted with a laugh. "You have your own task at hand! Before setting off for the Western Regions, you need to fabricate a Tuyuhun Imposter Prince and arrange everything properly. That's no easy job either."
"That's not difficult, just tedious. I've already thought it through—have Yang Da search among the impoverished border guards at the Garrison Camp for a suitable candidate. I'll just need to teach him court etiquette and responses." Li Yuangui frowned. "This assignment isn't dangerous, unlike Yi Niang's case, which involves so many palace secrets—"
His words cut off abruptly as a slender, smooth finger pressed against his lips.
The young lady of the Wei family, who had already risked life and death inside and outside the palace walls multiple times, smiled at him:
"Precisely because it's a case involving the inner palace, I'm the right person to investigate. And even if I can't handle it, there's still Sister Chai. How many times must I tell you? Stop worrying about us. After all our reckless struggles and still being unharmed, it must mean heaven wills it—that this case should be solved by us. Otherwise, we'd have died several times over by now, wouldn't we? Just focus on your expedition beyond the frontier and achieving glory..."
Achieving glory, and then what?
Li Yuangui tilted his head slightly, gently kissing the fingertip resting on his lips. His gaze remained fixed on the person before him, unwilling to look away even for a moment.
My life is not my own to command, my abilities limited, the future utterly uncertain—I cannot promise anyone or anything. The only thing I can hold onto without regret is this bond of affection.
"In this lifetime, in my heart, there will never be another."
She didn't respond, only withdrew her hand. Suspended between the vast sky and green wilderness, amidst countless palace towers, the summer sun poured down its radiant light without concealment. The woman he loved raised her face to meet his, and they embraced in a long, deep kiss.
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