The verdict in the Duan Clan case came down at noon the following day.
At the time, Nan Rao was sitting in her room drinking medicine when she suddenly heard clamorous voices outside.
It was Di Yue and Lu Ying.
What happened? Why all this commotion?
Nan Rao set down her medicine bowl and rose to push open the door, only to see Lu Ying running toward her in high spirits.
"Madam! Wonderful news! There's been a breakthrough in the Duan family case! Madam's wish has finally been fulfilled!"
Nan Rao was taken aback.
Uncertainly, she raised her eyes and let her gaze settle on the figure not far away.
Di Yue was standing in the courtyard, holding a bright yellow imperial edict in his hands.
He strode toward her with long, quick steps, presenting the edict with both hands. "Take a look, Madam. The Chancellor ordered me to deliver this."
Nan Rao opened the edict almost frantically.
The cold winter wind left her fingertips icy, and her hands trembled violently, yet she could feel the blood in her limbs running abnormally hot, surging back into her heart and making it pound fiercely.
Her eyes swept rapidly across the edict.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The border rebels held fast to their strongholds, and We commanded General Duan Hong to campaign against them, to pacify both within and without. Unexpectedly, the General gave his life for the nation, and yet petty villains spread rumors of his treason, stirring public outcry… We hereby proclaim to all under Heaven and make known to the four corners of the earth his loyalty and martyrdom… The entire Duan Clan and their kin are pardoned; the matter of the defeat shall be dealt with separately…"
The entire Duan Clan and their kin are pardoned.
Proclaimed to all under Heaven, his loyalty and martyrdom made known.
Nan Rao stared at the edict in her hands for a long moment, then suddenly pressed it to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut with force.
"Wonderful…" she murmured softly, finally breaking into a tearful smile. "Truly wonderful…"
Before coming to Luoyang, she had held no hope in her heart, and had even prepared herself to die in vain.
But this matter had actually come to pass.
The one thing she could not let go of in her heart had finally been accomplished.
All these days, she had been wound tight over the matter of seeking justice, anxious day and night, not daring to relax for even a moment—afraid she might not hold out and die, and afraid she might be too late to save them.
When her wish was suddenly fulfilled, the taut string that had held her together seemed to snap all at once, and the strength that had barely sustained her body drained away in an instant.
Her body swayed, and she reached out abruptly to grip the doorframe.
"Madam?" Lu Ying hurriedly supported her arm, calling out in concern.
Nan Rao shook her head. "I'm fine."
Tears brimmed in her eyes; she could not tell whether she was crying or laughing.
"I'm just very happy."
Just very happy… that was all.
Lu Ying remembered the physician's warning that Nan Rao was frail and should not experience excessive emotional swings. Fearing she might cry again over this matter, she nudged Di Yue with her elbow, signaling him to think of something.
But the oblivious warrior asked in a loud voice, "Lu Ying, why did you bump into me?"
"…"
Lu Ying was exasperated, and since she couldn't say it outright, she could only shoot him meaningful glances.
But Di Yue still didn't understand her meaning. Lu Ying stamped her foot in frustration. "When will you ever be a little smarter?"
Di Yue was utterly bewildered. "What do you mean I'm not smart?"
"You're just not smart… you great fool…"
"Hey!" No matter how good-natured Di Yue usually was, being scolded like this by Lu Ying in front of the Princess made him feel embarrassed and annoyed. "Lu Ying, keep this up and I'll get angry."
He put on a stern face, expecting that a mere maidservant like Lu Ying would be intimidated. But Lu Ying, knowing Nan Rao was present, fearlessly made a face at him and said, "You're a fool, a great fool."
"Stop right there!"
Di Yue made as if to grab her, and Lu Ying quickly dodged, lifting her skirts and running into the courtyard. Di Yue was about to chase after her when Lu Ying suddenly crouched down, scooped up a handful of snow, packed it into a ball, and hurled it at him. Di Yue couldn't dodge in time and was hit square in the face.
"You—"
He barely got out one word before two or three more snowballs came pelting at his head and face.
Di Yue was covered in snow, utterly disheveled.
He was so angry he laughed. "Fine, Lu Ying! You've gone too far! If I don't teach you a lesson today, my name isn't Di Yue!"
With that, he gritted his teeth, packed a snowball of his own, and threw it at Lu Ying.
And so the two of them began to roughhouse.
In the chaos, one of the snowballs—no one knew whose—went astray and hit Nan Rao square on.
Both of them were startled and stopped at the same time.
Nan Rao had been absorbed in her own emotions and was caught off guard by the snow. She looked up to find both of them staring at her in unison, and couldn't help but laugh silently.
Under their worried gazes, she brushed the snow off her clothes, walked into the courtyard, crouched down, and scooped up a handful of snow as well, smiling. "In that case, I won't hold back either."
With that, she tossed her snowball and joined in the chase and play.
The snow was still falling. The north wind swept up feathery flakes that drifted down in profusion, ceaselessly washing the world clean and white.
When Pei Ling arrived, this was the scene that met his eyes.
The three people in the snow were having a lively time.
Light, cheerful laughter rang out from time to time. Nan Rao ran through the snow, her eyes bright and spirited, occasionally tilting her head with nimble grace to dodge an incoming snowball.
Pei Ling's gaze unconsciously fell upon her, and he found himself staring, lost in thought.
At that very moment, a clump of snow suddenly flew toward him.
Yan Zhan quickly called out, "Watch out!" But it was too late—Pei Ling was struck squarely on the shoulder.
It was Nan Rao who had thrown it.
Seeing Pei Ling standing at the courtyard gate from a distance, she was startled, then rushed over in a flurry, calling out, "Lord Pei!"
Pei Ling lowered his gaze to the crushed snow on his shoulder.
He had always detested snowy days.
But for the first time, he found himself reluctant to brush the snow from his crane-feather cloak.
He looked up and saw her stop three paces away, breathless, watching him with a hint of nervous concern.
"My lord… are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Pei Ling nodded to her with a faint smile. "Having this much fun—it seems Di Yue has already told you everything."
"Mm!"
She nodded vigorously, then broke into a smile. "I didn't think it would be this soon…"
She had thought she would have to wait a very, very long time.
Even though Pei Ling had promised her, she hadn't dared to place all her hopes on him. She was afraid—the more hope she carried, the more it would only end in disappointment.
Nan Rao stood before Pei Ling, still breathing slightly fast from the playfulness moments ago. Though her cheeks were dusted with snow, her dark eyes seemed washed clean by it—clear and translucent.
The white fur collar made her cheeks appear faintly flushed, her complexion all the more rosy.
Pei Ling's heart softened. Seeing the snow thick in her hair and worrying she might catch cold when it melted, he instinctively reached out to brush it away.
Nan Rao noticed his movement and instinctively tilted her head aside to avoid it.
The atmosphere stiffened slightly.
Lu Ying, sharp-eyed, caught the scene and hurried over. "Miss, your hair is full of snow—let me pat it off for you."
Nan Rao obediently lowered her head, letting Lu Ying brush the snow from her hair.
Pei Ling stood quietly to the side, silently clenching his hand within his sleeve.
The air was very still.
Neither of them spoke.
Only after Lu Ying had finished tidying her did Nan Rao slowly raise her head.
"Lord Pei…"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Pei Ling couldn't help but turn his head to look at her.
The words came abruptly, but they were spoken from the heart.
If he hadn't stepped in on the day of the drum-beating, she would never have survived to this day.
Nor would she have dared to hope for the Duan family's name to be cleared.
She thought to herself: with her frail, ailing body and meager strength, opposing the vortex of the court had always been the vain delusion of a naive soul—an ant trying to topple a tree. But no matter what role the man before her played in the court, at least one thing stood apart from another: he had left her with no regrets.
She pressed her lips into a smile, raised her head, and said earnestly, "In the past, this common woman misunderstood you, my lord. I thought that, holding such high office, you would deceive me for your own gain. But now I am finally certain that you are a man of your word. On this matter alone, I owe you my thanks no matter what."
With that, she moved to bow to him in formal courtesy.
But her arm was caught.
She was taken aback.
The hand that held her had distinct knuckles, tendons taut beneath the skin—beautiful and strong.
She remembered the first time she saw him: it was this very hand extended toward her, cold and merciless, demanding the scissors.
But now, he supported her arm with his elbow, his fingertips not touching her at all.
As if afraid of startling her again.
"You have already thanked me." The man's voice was cool and restrained.
Yet she silently pulled free from his hold and bowed deeply, her gesture even more solemn than when she had knelt in the Minister of Justice's prison.
She said in a low voice, "Beyond that, I must also thank you, my lord, for taking me in. But this common woman is of lowly status while you hold high office—I fear I will never be able to repay this kindness in this lifetime. If there is a next life…"
"There is no need for you to repay it."
Her words were interrupted once more.
Nan Rao wanted to say something else, but when she looked up, she saw him standing in the snow, eyelids lowered, his profile nearly blending into the snowy scene behind him.
Emotions churned beneath his gaze, and his voice softened unconsciously. "Rise."
"Mm."
Yan Zhan stood at the side, watching their harmonious interaction with a smile, feeling quite moved.
After nightfall, Pei Ling made his way to the study, with Yan Zhan following close behind the Grand Chancellor. Recalling the day's events, he spoke with a hint of amusement, "This official observed that Your Excellency and the princess are getting along much better now. The princess laughed so joyfully today—surely after this matter, she will come to trust you completely. Moreover, with the Duan family affair settled, if the princess is to appear before others again, she can no longer call herself a daughter of the Duan family. She will need a new identity."
"When the time comes for her to need a new identity, bestowing upon her the honor of princess should make it natural for her to accept."
As Pei Ling listened to Yan Zhan speak, he idly stirred the remnants of incense with a silver spoon.
"Half a month from now is the Winter Solstice," he said calmly.
Yan Zhan understood and mused, "On every Winter Solstice, His Majesty hosts a great banquet for all his ministers—indeed, it would be the perfect occasion for the princess to make her appearance…"
Not only would all the civil and military officials, imperial relatives, and envoys from foreign states be present, but even the Grand Empress Dowager, who had been residing at the imperial retreat in prayer and convalescence, would appear.
It was just that the relationships involved were far too complex, and there were too many details to prepare in advance.
One misstep, and everything could go awry.
Pei Ling recalled how she had smiled and chatted with him during the day. For some reason, though she clearly looked to be in high spirits, her words carried an inexplicable air of desolation and sorrow.
It gave him a deeply unsettling feeling—one that seemed on the verge of slipping beyond his control.
His brows furrowed slightly, his voice cold and resolute. "It cannot be delayed any longer."
This was the perfect moment.
If they waited any longer, he feared that with time, complications would arise.
This matter had to be arranged without leaving a trace, and she must not be allowed to think that he was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Nor could there be any room for error.
Just as they were speaking, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from outside. A guard entered to report: "Reporting to the Grand Chancellor, Lu Ying requests an audience on urgent business."
Lu Ying was the young maidservant by Nan Rao's side.
Pei Ling frowned and raised his sleeve, ordering the guard to let her in.
The next moment, a figure rushed in hastily and knelt prostrate before Pei Ling, her expression panicked.
"Grand Chancellor, something terrible has happened! The Princess is missing!"