Imperial Study.
Tang Shunfu pushed open the palace doors and entered with light steps: “Your Majesty, Yuanbao has come to report that Her Highness the Princess seems somewhat unhappy today.”
This was the time when Yan Pingxiao handled daily government affairs. Unless it concerned the princess, Tang Shunfu would never dare to disturb.
Yan Pingxiao set down the goat-hair brush in his hand, the stern lines of his brow softening slightly. He immediately stood up and said, “To Zhaohuadian.”
Soon, the Imperial Carriage arrived at Zhaohuadian.
A little girl wearing a pink palace dress, her hair styled in double buns, stood inside the hall holding a cat.
Seeing the man enter, she didn’t appear particularly pleased but still greeted him properly: “Your daughter pays respects to Father Emperor.”
The little princess was only five years old. Because she was born prematurely, she was somewhat smaller and thinner than children her age. Yan Pingxiao strode over: “What’s wrong with Sui Sui today?”
Sui An tightened her grip on the kitten in her arms, her round apricot eyes slightly reddened, her lips pouting as she said, “Father Emperor, Mian Mian seems to be dying…”
Upon hearing this, Mian Mian in her arms stiffened for a moment, then quickly flicked its tail.
Yan Pingxiao picked her up and placed her on the soft couch, crouching before her as he asked, “Wasn’t it fine just yesterday?”
As he spoke, he reached out to stroke Mian Mian’s head. Mian Mian gave him a disinterested glance before closing its eyes again.
Something was indeed off.
Although Mian Mian usually didn’t care much for people, it had always been quite attached to Sui An. It was never as listless and sickly as it appeared now.
“Summon the imperial physician,” Yan Pingxiao ordered, then called in Yuanbao, who had always been by Sui An’s side, for questioning.
Yuanbao hurriedly knelt: “Your Majesty, yesterday evening the cat master ran out for a short while, but it was less than two quarters of an hour before this servant found it. At that time, there was nothing unusual.”
Yuanbao had been specifically serving this cat for five years, putting more effort into it than he did for his own parents. Knowing how much Your Majesty and the princess adored the cat master, he dared not be the slightest bit negligent.
Yan Pingxiao comforted Sui An until the imperial physician arrived. After examining Mian Mian, however, no illness was detected.
“Perhaps it’s because spring has arrived, and there are no other cats in the palace, so the cat master is feeling a bit down…”
Yan Pingxiao understood, but Sui An did not.
The little princess’s childish voice carried a sob: “Father Emperor, you can’t let Mian Mian die!”
“Mian Mian won’t die,” Yan Pingxiao said, stroking her head. At worst, he would go to the Imperial Menagerie tomorrow and let it pick a female cat for itself.
“Really? But Father Emperor couldn’t protect Mother. Can you really protect Mian Mian?”
Yan Pingxiao quietly watched Sui An for a long moment. Sui An had never been particularly close to him, and he had grown accustomed to her occasional sarcastic remarks.
Sui An simply held Mian Mian and stared at him, her young age marked by an extreme clarity of love and hate.
Beside them, Yuanbao kept his head bowed low, wishing he could close his ears.
What was the princess saying?
Only when the hem of the Emperor’s robe brushed past his eyes did Yuanbao finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Another day survived. How wonderful.
He hunched over and approached, earnestly advising: “Your Highness, why must you anger His Majesty again?”
The little princess ignored him, her small body climbing onto the couch and bringing Mian Mian up with her.
She buried her little face in Mian Mian’s fluffy fur.
“Was what I said wrong?”
“Am I wrong?”
Yuanbao seemed to hear a murmur but couldn’t make out the words clearly.
“I’m not wrong.”
The little princess hugged her kitten and muttered to herself—her father truly hadn’t protected her mother well, she hadn’t spoken falsely.
Every day, Nan Shu would deliver the Guanyin statue to Fahua Hall. Consort Rong appeared quite satisfied with her obedience and hadn’t sent Granny Qu to supervise her these past two days.
When she emerged from Fahua Hall this day, strong winds had picked up outside, and rain seemed imminent. Nan Shu hurriedly quickened her pace.
Walking along the palace pathways of the Imperial City, she suddenly recalled her first arrival in Jingcheng in her previous life—her heart filled with confusion and unease about the future. That man had held her in his arms, soothing her gently:
“From now on, this will be our home.”
But that home—she alone had guarded it bitterly for two years.
Later, it was he who personally destroyed their home.
Nan Shu lowered her eyelids, suppressing the sharp ache and sour sorrow in her heart.
In her previous life, though she had come to Jingcheng for two years, she had always lived in the Separate Courtyard in the outskirts. Never mind the imperial palace, she had only visited Jingcheng proper once—that sole occasion being when she overheard Yan Pingxiao and his friends mocking her.
She had been too ashamed at the time to properly appreciate Jingcheng’s scenery.
Once she leaves the palace next month, she’ll be able to properly observe Jingcheng’s local customs and culture.
Nan Shu couldn’t help but think—if only she had been reborn somewhere far away, never setting foot in this troubled place called Jingcheng. The next moment she chided herself for being too greedy. Being granted a second chance at life was already a blessing. Since she’s here, she should make the best of it—there must be ways to resolve these difficulties.
In early spring, the sunset wind was strong. A breeze mixed with willow catkins swept past, disturbing the veil on her face and revealing her jade-white profile.
Nan Shu quickly raised her arm, using her slender white fingers to press down the veil.
“Your Majesty, Minister Meng entered the palace half an hour ago and is waiting in the Imperial Study…”
Tang Shunfu bowed as he followed alongside the imperial carriage, but before he could finish, the man suddenly ordered: “Stop.”
There was a note of urgency in his voice. The carriage halted, the brocade curtain was swept aside, and the man’s figure hurried past Tang Shunfu.
Tang Shunfu stared at him blankly: “Your Majesty?”
Yan Pingxiao’s shoulders were broad and straight. His sharp black eyes looked past the bamboo grove beside the palace path, fixing on the small trail within the woods.
That fleeting glimpse—it felt like a heavy hammer striking hard against his heart. His breath caught in that instant.
In the space of a single breath, he was striding rapidly toward that direction.
Tang Shunfu was startled, scrambling to chase after him once he regained his senses: “Your Majesty! Where are you going?!”
The howling cold wind brushed against his face. Yan Pingxiao clearly felt the sharp panic deep within his left chest.
He recklessly pushed aside the branches before him, searching urgently through the woods.
Nothing!
She wasn’t there!
Though it was early spring, fine beads of sweat formed on the man’s forehead.
He paid no mind to the broken branches or the frightened gazes of passing palace staff. His tall figure moved frantically through the grove, his heart and eyes filled only with that brief glimpse from moments before.
That familiar, deeply engraved profile.
The darkness in his eyes deepened, growing increasingly shadowy. After searching the entire grove, Yan Pingxiao stood dejectedly in place.
Under the setting sun against the blue sky, the bamboo grove stood empty and silent, leaving only the rustling of wind through bamboo leaves.
Suddenly, the scene from his first arrival in Jingcheng flashed before his eyes—the harbor’s crabapple blossoms in full bloom, the woman nervously clutching his sleeve, her delicate fingertips secretly entwining with his. He bent down to comfort her:
“Tang Tang, don’t be afraid. From now on, this will be our home.”
Her eyes sparkled as she gently nestled into his embrace. “I’m not afraid.”
Yan Pingxiao closed his eyes, a surge of bitterness threatening to break through.
Tang Shunfu caught up, panting as he leaned on his knees. “Your Majesty, what did you see?”
The man stood at the wind’s edge, his robes billowing. His lips trembled faintly. “I saw her…”
“Who… who?” Tang Shunfu was bewildered. Were there others here besides them?
A chill ran down his spine, making him shiver.
A piercing pain made the man press a hand to his chest. He smiled bitterly. “I must have been mistaken.”
“How could it be her…”
“How could it possibly be her…”
Yan Pingxiao stood silently, his handsome features once again cool and detached as if the earlier vulnerability had been an illusion.
Behind him, his shadow stretched and gradually merged with the setting sun.
Alone he stood, his silhouette stark and solitary.