Double happiness.
The moment the last word left his mouth, Emperor Wenkang stepped into the side chamber.
His tall, straight figure cast a shadow outside the folding screen. The candlelight reflected a luxurious, cold glow off his gold and jade crown, revealing a soft, delicate face that, at first glance, resembled that of a woman.
As soon as he stepped inside, Emperor Wenkang was greeted once again by the sight of Yan Lingyi’s irritating face.
Fairly speaking, Yan Lingyi was not ugly. She had a round face, phoenix eyes, thick eyebrows, and thin lips, faintly carrying the heroic demeanor of a man. She was tall, with the natural straightness, crispness, and awe-inspiring aura unique to martial artists. Her skin was not the usual snowy white of ordinary women, but a sun-kissed honey tone. She disliked wearing jewelry and lavish clothes, always wearing practical, straight-cut skirts that made her stand out among gentle women. Yet, she was not reckless; she was imbued with the poise and intelligence of a scholarly family, proficient in both literature and martial arts.
What made her even more precious was that the Yan family belonged to the Empress Dowager’s faction. Utterly loyal, the Yan family was inextricably linked to the royal bloodline.
If she were a man, she would be the Yan family’s young general, destined to hold military power in the future, conquering the world for Emperor Wenkang and firmly guarding the empire. If she were a woman, she was the only choice for Empress, meant to continue Emperor Wenkang’s bloodline and raise the imperial princes.
Having Yan Lingyi was truly like adding wings to a tiger.
Yet, Emperor Wenkang detested Yan Lingyi.
Pampered since childhood, Emperor Wenkang had developed a spoiled temperament and loved pleasure. He and the upright, stern Yan Lingyi had loathed each other since they were young. In his eyes, Yan Lingyi marrying him was merely a way for the Empress Dowager to keep him on a leash.
He hated her overbearing nature, as well as her strict control over him and her heavy expectations.
As soon as Emperor Wenkang finished his sentence, he waited for Yan Lingyi to start arguing with him. She always argued with him like this; she was dissatisfied with everything he did, and whatever he said, she had to contradict.
Sure enough.
Today, the woman standing in place listened quietly for a moment before lifting her phoenix eyes, which seemed to carry a hint of mockery, and said, “Your Majesty might as well depose this concubine right now.”
Emperor Wenkang was so angry he nearly flipped backward.
Yet, the truth was he truly could not depose Yan Lingyi. Above him stood the Empress Dowager, and below him were her brave and battle-tested father and brothers. The Yan family’s military generals occupied nearly half of Jin’s territory; otherwise, Yan Lingyi would never have been able to lord over him in everything.
For an emperor, he felt so utterly stifled!
Amidst the emperor and empress’s quarrel, neither would yield to the other, which ultimately ended with Emperor Wenkang roaring, “I will depose you sooner or later!”
Failing to win the argument against Yan Lingyi, Emperor Wenkang gave the wooden door a vicious kick and stormed off aggressively.
Yan Lingyi stood up and walked to the window to look outside.
Shadows flickered across the curved corridor branches, and mottled golden light danced. Lifting her gaze, she caught sight of Emperor Wenkang’s retreating back.
A crowd of eunuchs and palace maids swarmed around him, flattering him. Their commotion could be heard from dozens of paces away. The lead eunuch said something to Emperor Wenkang, causing him a wave of anxiety that quickened his steps even further; he looked as though he wished he could sprout wings and fly away.
To outsiders, this was a golden, handsome young man. When others looked at him, they could only see his caprice and openheartedness, and even when he occasionally made mistakes, it could be dismissed as youthful impulsiveness.
Yet, to Yan Lingyi, he was merely a weak, incompetent waste walker who could not shoulder responsibility. He was a human-shaped parasite with a human face who had never done a single proper deed, knowing only how to gnaw the bones and suck the marrow while perching atop a magnificent throne.
Yan Lingyi’s knuckles turned white. She slammed her fist hard against the cold windowsill; her internal energy surged, causing the window lattice to tremble and send fine wooden splinters flying. A resonant, powerful shout rolled out from her throat: “Zhilan!”
The voice, wrapped in a hint of coldness, struck the beams and bounced back, tightening the eardrums of anyone in the empty room. Even the wind sweeping past the window seemed to pause for a moment, as if waiting for the aftermath behind that cry.
Outside the carved window lattice, Zhilan shivered violently, turned to push the door open, and dropped heavily to knee height. Crossing her hands over her knees, the silver hairpin on her lowered bun trembled slightly as she said in a resolute tone, “This maid is here!”
Zhilan was her personal maid, a martial arts maid who had practiced martial arts with her for many years and later entered the palace by her side. Later on, to protect her, she even died in the tide of rebel soldiers. She was the only person Yan Lingyi could truly trust.
“Tonight, replace all the patrols around the Bisha Palace with our men,” Yan Lingyi said in an icy voice. “Do not allow any Jinwu Guards to come close.”
Bisha Palace was the palace where Lady Li lived.
Though Zhilan did not know what the Empress intended to do, she immediately nodded in assent. No matter what her mistress wanted to do, they would do it. The Yan family possessed a deep-rooted sense of loyalty; servants were loyal to their masters and willing to die for them.
But this time, Yan Lingyi would not let them die in vain.
Yan Lingyi took a deep breath and cast one last glance at Emperor Wenkang’s retreating back.
Everything was just like her past life.
Emperor Wenkang had argued with her, stormed off in a huff, and that very night, events unfolded exactly as she remembered.
“There is one more thing.” Yan Lingyi’s hand unconsciously rubbed against the window lattice.
Thinking of Ning Yue, who had died alongside her in the past life, a wave of tenderness welled up in Yan Lingyi’s chest. Softening her tone, she said, “Spread the news of the argument between His Majesty and me to the Wangyue Palace.”
Ning Yue, in this life, you will not need to die.
She wanted Great Yu to prosper for ten thousand years, the Yan family to flourish eternally, the seas to be clear and the world to be at peace, and all rebellious traitors to die without a burial place. All of this would begin with the disappearance of Emperor Wenkang.
Meanwhile, the departing Emperor Wenkang had no idea what Yan Lingyi was thinking; right now, he only wanted to see his beloved Lady Li.
Passing through the winding corridors and pavilions and a lush lotus pond, Emperor Wenkang hurried to Bisha Palace.
Bisha Palace was situated on higher ground, offering a distant view of the mountain ranges. At this moment, the sun was setting; mist hung across the forest, and the mountains were submerged in the distant twilight. The lingering evening bells and drums echoed as he entered the back chamber of the palace, where he heard a burst of crying and shouting.
“Lady Li!” Emperor Wenkang quickened his pace. As he dashed into the Bisha Palace back chamber, he saw Lady Li attempting to swallow a hairpin to take her own life, while several palace maids knelt, pleading, pulling, and coaxing her to no avail.
Lady Li was not exceptionally beautiful; at best, she was delicate and pretty, resembling a small white flower in the fields, radiating a stubborn streak.
Upon seeing Emperor Wenkang, Lady Li’s reaction became even more intense. She picked up the hairpin, aimed it at her own neck, and cried out loudly, “Ji Mingshan, let me go! I don’t want to be a woman in your harem! If you force me any further, I will die!”
Lady Li was precisely this kind of woman; she loved passionately and recklessly, putting her life on the line. Her life, her beauty, and everything about her stemmed from love. As long as Emperor Wenkang loved her, she could die right now. The mere thought of sharing Emperor Wenkang with another woman, or the thought of another woman bearing his children, filled Lady Li with excruciating agony.
Emperor Wenkang felt the madness of her love, and from it, he derived a bizarre sense of satisfaction.
He had never been loved like this before.
Ever since birth, he had borne heavy pressures. An emperor’s life looked luxurious and abundant, but no matter what he did, he was suppressed and controlled. He was never a free person; instead, he was placed inside a vessel and molded into a specific shape like a puppet. Both the Empress Dowager and the Empress were simply parts of that disciplinary system.
Because of this, he felt that his life did not matter, and the true Ji Mingshan did not matter at all. What mattered was merely Emperor Wenkang, and everyone who loved him loved only his dragon throne.
But Lady Li was different.
When Lady Li met him, she did not know his identity. Lady Li loved Ji Mingshan, the one and only Ji Mingshan.
Therefore, he loved Lady Li with equal madness, forgiving her for everything simply because she loved him.
“Step down, all of you.” Dismissing his attendants, Emperor Wenkang walked over with a deeply affectionate expression, embraced Lady Li, and whispered, “Lady Li, I have wronged you and made you suffer.”
He said, “I am the Emperor; I cannot have only you. But I promise you, from now on I will love only you, alright? Return to the palace with me; from now on, no one will dare bully you, and all the best treasures in the world will be yours.”
“I don’t want those treasures,” Lady Li said. “I only want you.”
“Can’t we leave together? Don’t you also hate being the emperor and hate being controlled by others?” With tears in her eyes, Lady Li choked out, “Let’s leave this place, go somewhere where no one knows who we are, and live happily and freely together. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
What Lady Li described was a world Emperor Wenkang had never dared to imagine. Overcome by a sudden surge of passion, he blurted out, “Alright, I will leave with you! I won’t care about anything, I don’t want anything else, I only want you.”
“Really? Will you really leave with me?” Lady Li grasped his hand tightly, her face beaming with joy. “We will be together forever.”
Emperor Wenkang and Lady Li carefully plotted their escape, growing happier the more they talked.
Free from the constraints of palace etiquette, free from the interference of other women, there would only be the two of them, boundless, carefree, and together forever through eternity.
Clasped tightly in each other’s arms, the two watched the evening glow in the distance, waiting for the moment darkness would fall.
When the news of the fierce quarrel between the Emperor and the Empress reached the Wangyue Palace, Princess Ning Yue was lying on a low couch reading a vernacular storybook.
Imperial Princess Ning Yue, the darling held in the palm of the Empress Dowager’s hand, was sixteen years old. For this prayer ceremony, the Empress Dowager had commanded the Princess to accompany them. Ning Yue was far more obedient than Emperor Wenkang; every evening she prayed as usual, during the day she slept honestly to make up for rest, and she did not run around randomly. Her favorite pastime was reading storybooks.
The windows of Wangyue Palace were high and wide, located within a flower pavilion in the mountains. Looking outward, one could see various floral landscapes. At this moment, the summer sun was sinking, and drifting clouds were dyed a crimson rouge by the setting sun. A streak of thick, gilded twilight poured through the half-open window, landing on Ning Yue.
As she turned the pages of her book, Princess Ning Yue revealed a face identical to Emperor Wenkang’s, delicate and pretty, resembling a misty lotus in the shade, blooming brightly.
The storybook happened to be recounting the number one beauty in the martial arts world. Unconvinced, Princess Ning Yue put down her book, picked up a mirror to inspect herself closely, and asked her maid with feigned ignorance, “Who is the number one beauty in the martial arts world?”
“Naturally, it is the Princess,” a nearby maid hastily chimed in. “Those rustic country folk have never laid eyes on the Princess; they only know how to write nonsense.”
“That’s right, it must be because they have never seen this Princess.” Ning Yue admired her reflection in the mirror and nodded proudly.
Peerless in beauty, a goddess descended to earth! Excellent, today she was once again an absolute beauty!
The Princess had a lively disposition. Because she was constantly flattered as being as beautiful as a celestial being, she was fiercely narcissistic, believing her face was matchless in heaven and earth and that anyone who saw her would fall under her skirt, the legendary country-toppling beauty. Thus, every day she strutted around like a proud little peacock, shaking her tail feathers for others to admire her peerless looks.
It is your honor to set eyes on this Princess; I am, after all, Great Yu’s number one beauty.
A group of maids laughed and showered her with flattery, coaxing Ning Yue to be happy.
Tossing the mirror aside, Ning Yue picked up her storybook again, gave a dainty huff, and said, “Fine, this Princess forgives their short-sightedness.”
If she ever had the chance in the future, she truly ought to let them witness the Princess’s beauty firsthand.
No sooner had Ning Yue opened her book for the second time than she heard footsteps outside. A maid entered to report that, because of that commoner woman who had shown up, the Emperor and Empress had quarreled fiercely once more.
“Why are they arguing again?” Ning Yue sighed. “Imperial Brother is truly hateful, bullying Imperial Sister-in-law over a commoner.”
Yan Lingyi’s character was recognized by everyone in the entire palace, yet Emperor Wenkang stubbornly refused to see it, insisting on making a fuss over a commoner.
The maid massaging Ning Yue’s legs consoled her, “Your Highness need not worry; a mere commoner could never ride over the Empress’s head.”
Compared to Imperial Sister-in-law, she certainly cannot compare, but with such a person hanging around, Imperial Sister-in-law must find it vexing to look at!
Ning Yue looked identical to Emperor Wenkang, but her disposition was entirely different. She was educated and knew propriety; she could not accept her brother’s behavior, but she had no way to control him either. With a sigh, she said, “Prepare some pastries tonight; I’ll take them to Imperial Sister-in-law to eat.”
Consider it a way to cheer her up.
As evening deepened, Ning Yue carried a food box and headed toward the Prayer Hall.
Meanwhile, inside Bisha Palace, Emperor Wenkang and Lady Li were making their escape together.
The wind began to rise, and the bronze bells beneath the eaves rang sharply in the gale, as if aided by heavenly beings. Tonight’s patrol was unusually sparse. They successfully boarded a carriage and impatiently embraced their freedom.
The fine horse turned its direction, carrying the carriage away from Sanling Mountain under the cover of night.
This time, no one came out to stop them; their shadows intertwined with each other as they galloped toward the life they desired.
The wheel of fate quietly deviated from its track, driving toward an unknown direction.
The emperor seeking love and escaping in the deep night, the reborn empress kneeling and praying in the Prayer Hall, and the oblivious princess heading toward the Prayer Hall as well, pieced together a brilliant and wondrous storybook, rushing toward the next chapter with either joy or resentment.
A new story begins right here.
The Prayer Hall was situated at the very center of Sanling Palace. A statue of a Bodhisattva was enshrined inside, and it was said that sincerely kneeling and praying before the Bodhisattva every night would make all wishes come true.
The sky was now dark; the last trace of twilight had sunk behind the mountains, and cold moonlight filtered down through the clouds, quietly spilling across the earth.
Tall pines leaked sparse moonlight, casting shadows like a painted floor.
On the floor of the long corridor outside the hall, neat floral shadows of wooden doors were imprinted. Ning Yue stepped across the lattice grid within the wooden doors step by step.
Outside the window, a fine drizzle gradually spread, pattering against the tung tree leaves. The ancient wooden steps emitted a post-rain earthy scent, not unpleasant, but rather unique, smelling even better than the agarwood or fruit fragrances in the palace.
Ning Yue actually grew to love this kind of rain; gentle and light, it was deeply pleasing.
A palace maid held up a blue-silk lotus umbrella, resembling a giant lotus leaf held over the Princess’s head. When Ning Yue looked up, she could see the intricate leaf veins painted by master craftsmen.
The ground had turned into a lake, and she was walking upon lotus leaves.
After walking barely a hundred paces, Ning Yue entered the front hall, while the maid carrying the food box waited outside.
The Prayer Hall was solemn and dignified, with the Bodhisattva lowering her gaze in compassion. The hall was deep and lofty, making it difficult for the moonlight to penetrate the windows. The rest of the hall remained in dim shadows, save for a row of eternal lamps arrayed around the Bodhisattva, illuminating a small portion of the hall.
The lamplight burned quietly, casting a warm, gentle glow across the dim halls.
As Ning Yue lifted her skirt and walked into the hall, she saw her Imperial Sister-in-law kneeling with her back to her, praying before the Bodhisattva.
Since her sister-in-law practiced martial arts, her spine was straight and poised, her tight muscle lines visible beneath the thin brocade. Amidst the flickering candlelight, her firm jawline was clearly discernible. Her prayer was simple: chanting scriptures to the Bodhisattva, and after completing a round, lighting an eternal lamp.
Ning Yue stopped in her tracks, not wishing to disturb her sister-in-law.
The sound of rain outside the hall seemed to grow heavier, like a waterfall cascading over the eaves, making the interior feel even more tranquil.
As the prayer session ended, her sister-in-law personally lit an eternal lamp.
Beneath the lamp lay a nameplate bearing the name of Prince Qi, Ji Hengge. Her delicate hand lifted the bronze lamp, and the firelight reflected a glistening, jade-like luster across her fingers.
“Imperial Sister-in-law,” Ning Yue called out softly.
Hearing the voice, Yan Lingyi slowly turned her head.
Walking in from the shadows beneath the candlelight, Ning Yue’s pink damask robes shimmered with a cold luster. Her face was soft, her eyes bright. Approaching, she knelt onto the prayer mat directly in front of Yan Lingyi, cooing coquettishly, “Imperial Sister-in-law.”
Sixteen-year-old Ning Yue had yet to experience the collapse of the state and the destruction of her family, remaining innocent and endearing. Kneeling on the mat like a sleek-furred civet cat, blinking her eyes and meowing, it sent Yan Lingyi into a brief trance.
Ning Yue, the Ning Yue who died alongside her in the past life, remained fixed in her thoughts. Because of the Empress Dowager, she had been trained according to the standards of an empress since childhood, and she had known Ning Yue since they were little, treating each other like kin.
Seeing a living Ning Yue once again, Yan Lingyi could not help the sourness rising in her nose.
Lowering her gaze slowly, she said softly, “Come over, kneel down, and kowtow to the Bodhisattva.”
Heaven had taken pity on her, granting her a chance at life, and she must give thanks, giving thanks for Ning Yue’s share as well.
Unaware of the deeper meaning behind her sister-in-law’s words, Ning Yue obediently knelt and kowtowed in prayer.
Following the prayer, Ning Yue began to comfort her sister-in-law, telling her not to wear herself out worrying over the Emperor and that common woman. As she listened, Yan Lingyi suddenly smiled gently at Ning Yue and said, “I have long known what kind of temperament your Imperial Brother has; how could I possibly hold a grudge?”
Ning Yue breathed a sigh of relief.
Although she knew the relationship between her Imperial Brother and sister-in-law had always been discordant, she still disliked seeing them become estranged.
“Your Imperial Brother and I quarreled to this extent, and I don’t even know if he blames me. I heard that common woman is still making a fuss about taking her own life; I’m afraid she won’t settle down all night.” Yan Lingyi lowered her phoenix eyes, wearing a look of helplessness as she said, “Since you happened to come, I must trouble you to make a trip to Bisha Palace for me and check on your Imperial Brother.”
Only natural!
Nodding in agreement, Ning Yue said, “Ning Yue will go right now.”
The little princess had no idea she had already stepped straight into her sister-in-law’s trap. Volunteering readily, she stood up, lifted her skirt, and set off to find her Imperial Brother. As she stepped out of the inner hall, she even turned back to call out, “Sister-in-law, I left a box of food outside; eat it once you’re done!”
The last time Ning Yue turned back, she saw her sister-in-law kneeling on the prayer mat against a backdrop of a thousand eternal lamps, a faint smile on her face, watching her quietly as she turned her head.
That gaze carried both loving tolerance and a trace of compassion.
Doubt stirred in Ning Yue’s heart; she vaguely felt that today’s sister-in-law was somewhat unusual. However, without halting her steps, she left the hall.
Outside lay a torrential rain, howling and lashing against the eaves. Anyone in the corridor would have half their body drenched. Struck by the rain, Ning Yue’s strange thoughts were instantly washed away. The rain was so heavy she was practically on the verge of backing out!
“Your Highness,” a maid by her side said, “with the rain so heavy, shouldn’t we go tomorrow instead?”
“No,” Ning Yue stubbornly insisted. “A promise made to Imperial Sister-in-law must be kept.”
Outside, the heavy rain poured down, beating the lotus leaf umbrella in her hands crooked, while shallow pools of water gathered on the ground. Splashing her way through step by step, Ning Yue stubbornly refused to turn back for shelter.
Forget the rain; even if hail were falling today, she would still go.
The child possessed a stubborn tenacity. Though usually she looked delicate, soft, and prone to tears, appearing incapable of standing tall, at critical moments, she could grit her teeth and persevere.
When she arrived at Bisha Palace, Ning Yue was surprised to find all the serving attendants gathered in the outer room of the front hall. Seeing the Princess arrive, the crowd hastily dropped to their knees, covering the ground in a wave of prostrations.
“What is going on here?” Ning Yue asked, frowning. “Why aren’t you serving outside Imperial Brother’s door?”
The maid kneeling at the front replied, “Replying to Your Highness, His Majesty forbade us from approaching, ordering us only to wait outside.”
Whenever Emperor Wenkang encountered Lady Li, he lost all reason and abandoned himself entirely to passion; these attendants dared not disobey.
With a sigh, Ning Yue said, “Very well, I’ll go take a look myself.”
What Ning Yue saw gave her the shock of her life. The back chamber was completely empty, save for a single letter.
Unfolding the letter, Ning Yue recognized her Imperial Brother’s handwriting.
The note contained only a few short sentences. The gist of it was that her Imperial Brother, Emperor Wenkang, had found his true love, no longer wished to be bound by the imperial throne, and was leaving to become a happy, free ordinary person.
To put it simply, in four words: Imperial Brother fled.
Brother fled.
Fled.
Fled.
Ning Yue stared in utter bewilderment.
She had always known her Imperial Brother was absurd and unruly, but this was the first time she truly felt a wave of panic rising from the depths of her soul.
Right on cue, a peal of thunder rang out from outside. Amidst the flashing lightning, Ning Yue clutched the slip of paper, leaped up with a start, and sprinted back toward the Prayer Hall.
The rain grew heavier, and the calls of the maids stretched long behind her, but Ning Yue did not dare slow her pace, rushing frantically all the way to the Prayer Hall.
The storm over the Prayer Hall was raging. The tails of lightning scorched dark clouds, silver rain threads lashed down, and the rumbling thunder acted like a death summons. Charging wildly into the hall before she even arrived, Ning Yue shouted at the top of her lungs:
“Imperial Sister-in-law!”
Her piercing voice tore through the night sky, echoing within the hall. Yan Lingyi stood up, turned toward her, and asked, “What is the matter that has you so terrified?”
Turning pale with fright and bursting into tears, Ning Yue cried out, “It’s terrible, Sister-in-law! Imperial Brother has eloped with that common woman!”
Ning Yue knew that as soon as these words left her mouth, they would surely spark a violent storm.
With her sister-in-law’s temper, if she learned that Imperial Brother had abandoned everything to run away with a commoner woman, she would surely fly into a rage!
“What?” Sure enough, consumed by fury, Yan Lingyi abruptly stood up and shouted sternly, “Men, go search the surroundings immediately and bring His Majesty back!”
Before she could finish her command, however, Yan Lingyi suddenly collapsed limply to the ground!
Ning Yue stood frozen in a daze for two seconds, followed by a piercing scream.
Imperial Sister-in-law was frightened into fainting from anger!