Sensing her low spirits, Liu Boyan, holding her daughter, invited her into the mansion for a seat. Ji Rong wanted to leave immediately, but faced with the cautious invitation from her old friend, her heart suddenly clenched—when did Yan'er start looking at her with such eyes?
"Sister Rong?"
The sound of "Sister Rong" seemed to wash away the five-year-long awkwardness. Ji Rong couldn't refuse her, so she nodded and was invited in by Yu Wencheng with trepidation.
She didn't want to disrupt Yan'er's family, so she decided to sit for a while, have a cup of tea, and then leave.
Princess Yunzhang is the emperor, and Yuwen is the minister. Now that Empress Dowager Yan has retired to Changming Palace to "spend her old age in peace," His Majesty holds great power. Princess Yunzhang is His Majesty's elder sister. Regardless of how deep their "sibling" relationship is, Princess Yunzhang and the Empress are truly close friends.
As everyone knows, these days, people love everything about the Empress, and His Majesty loves everything the Empress loves.
Not wanting Yu Wen to see through her thoughts, Ji Rongzhen went into the mansion, drank a cup of tea, and left.
She left gracefully and without a trace of regret. Liu Boyan watched her departing figure, and for some reason, a sudden wave of sorrow washed over her.
"Mother? Mother, why are you crying?" Little Yuzhi touched her mother's tears with her fingertip, licked them lightly with her tongue, and said innocently, "They're bitter."
Even though Yu Wen had some suspicions in his heart, he couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh to his wife.
Liu Boyan was crying for no apparent reason. While the wet nurse was taking her daughter to bathe, she asked blankly, "What's wrong with me?"
She was truly clueless when it came to matters of love and romance, and Yu Wen, knowing full well what was going on, pretended not to understand and didn't want to point it out to her. He was only an ordinary man, unable to help her find happiness, and besides, Yan'er was already his wife.
"Perhaps he was overcome with emotion upon seeing Zhizhi."
Is that so?
Liu Boyan seemed to be deep in thought.
She knew perfectly well that she wasn't crying for her daughter, but for... for Sister Rong.
But why did she cry because Sister Rong wouldn't talk to her?
"If you can't figure it out, don't think about it anymore." Yu Wen instructed the maid to bring over a cup of ginseng tea.
...
Ji Rong left the Minister's residence in a near panic.
The seemingly respectable and glamorous princess in public is, in reality, nothing more than a pitiful little thing who can't have what she wants.
The man she loved was now another man's wife, and for both reason and emotion, she should not appear before Yan'er again—she could not destroy her happy family, nor could she put her in a position of injustice.
In April, it started to rain.
Spring rain is as precious as oil.
Outside the window, a light rain was falling. Inside the Gan Ning Palace, Ji Ying pressed her hand against the Empress's belly to feel the movements of the unborn baby. Every movement filled her with joy.
"She moved again! She kicked me again!"
He was so excited that he forgot to call out "I, the Emperor" (朕).
Yan Xiu saw the joy on her face and felt a pang of tenderness: this was the child she and A Ying had been longing for for many years.
Ah Ying was an absolute woman, yet she used her ruthless methods to firmly sit on the throne. In her early years, an envoy from the outer court presented her with the most extraordinary elixir in the world. The elixir was actually half a pill, and it was also a fertility pill for women, capable of enabling them to conceive.
For several years after taking this elixir, she remained infertile. When her father suggested using traditional folk methods to increase her chances of having children, the two, who were not usually inclined to do so, actually agreed.
Thinking of this, the Empress asked, "Has the Yu family's little crybaby gone home?"
"I'm home. My elder sister sent someone to deliver it to me."
Yan Xiu is pregnant, and Ji Ying takes the initiative to take care of all matters so that she can rest assured and focus on her pregnancy. As the new emperor, he does the work of two people. During the day, he is busy handling affairs of the court and the harem, and at night he is responsible for warming the bed and coaxing his beloved wife to sleep.
"I can't let those children who have been with me for two years go to waste."
"Don't worry." Ji Ying straightened up, her eyes sparkling and beautiful: "I never take advantage of others, and I will reward those families handsomely."
"Never takes advantage of others?" the Empress teased.
Ji Ying blushed and whispered something in her ear as she hugged her.
Their deep affection goes without saying.
On that day, His Majesty issued an edict to reward the Yu, Song, and Xie families.
The Empress's head maid went to the Minister's residence and handed over the imperial pardon bestowed by the Empress to the young girl, Yu Zhi.
The couple were overjoyed to receive such a favor from the Empress. With this support, their daughter could now live a life of ease in the capital.
Yu Zhi puffed out her cheeks, her soft little hands clutching the gold medal bestowed upon her by the Empress, and said defiantly, "Walking sideways, wouldn't that make me a crab? Zhi Zhi doesn't want to be a crab, crabs are meant to be stewed and eaten!"
The child's innocent words made Liu Boyan laugh so hard that all her worries disappeared.
Ostensibly leaving the palace to return home, Liu Boyan, having received the Empress's decree, would occasionally bring her daughter into the palace to keep the Empress company.
In the golden autumn of October, as the weather turned cool, Yan Xiu gave birth to a daughter with great difficulty.
The newborn baby was all wrinkled and didn't cry. It wasn't until Ji Ying slapped her little bottom in frustration that the little princess let out a pitiful howl.
The loud cry was heard, and everyone in the delivery room breathed a sigh of relief.
The baby was given the title of Princess Changyang by Ji Ying upon birth.
When Xiao Yuzhi learned that the Empress had given birth to an extremely ugly baby, she was incredulous. No matter how her parents tried to amuse her, she refused to believe that the Empress, who looked like a celestial being, could give birth to such an ugly child.
On this day, Xiao Yuzhi begged her mother to take her to the palace to see the legendary 'Ugly Doll'.
A month has passed since the Empress gave birth to her daughter. The one-month-old baby's features are gradually unfolding. Even though she is small and cannot speak, she exudes an air of imperial elegance and nobility.
Yu Zhi stood by her mother's side, watching the little princess with curiosity, her eyes filled with a bright smile—she had always said that the baby born from the fairy would be a little fairy, and the little princess was much prettier than the little fairy children in the New Year's paintings!
Princess Changyang's full name was Ji Qingci, and her nickname was Pingxi. Before leaving the palace, Yuzhi called her "Xixi" affectionately.
If it weren't for her father's recent poor health, she would really like her parents to have another little sister.
"Xi Xi's eyes are brighter than the stars in the sky."
Hearing how much she adored the Empress's little princess, Liu Boyan's smile froze at the corners of her eyes. Having only one child was indeed a bit lonely, but... she was unwilling to have another child with her husband. As for why...
She frowned, the hurt look in Rong-jie's eyes flashing before her eyes after she learned of her engagement.
A sudden, sharp pain shot through my heart.
What's wrong with her?
"Mother, are you listening to what Zhizhi is saying?"
Looking down at her daughter's questioning eyes, Liu Boyan regained her composure and affectionately patted her little head: "What did Zhizhi say? Mother was just lost in thought..."
Xiao Yuzhi pouted, patiently repeated what she had said, and finally asked, "Mother, do you think Princess Xixi will like the little wooden figure I gave her?"
Liu Boyan carefully considered the little princess's preferences and hesitated before saying, "She should...like it, right?"
Back home, Xiaoyuzhi carefully prepared a small wooden figurine to give as a gift, but unfortunately, the figurine she had been meticulously selecting for half a year was ultimately not successfully given away.
Yu Wen is sick.
He was very ill.
The imperial physicians came five or six times, and even though His Majesty summoned renowned doctors from all over the country to assist his subjects, it only extended his lifespan by a year.
Human life is finite; when the time comes, even the King of Heaven cannot save you.
Yu Wensheng was born precocious and passed the imperial examination at the age of eight. After years of hard study, he failed the imperial examination and was ruined. Later, he took a knife for the Grand Tutor, which can be said to be exchanging his life for a lifetime of marriage with Liu Boyan.
Kyoto was covered in snow, a world of white.
The Minister of Rites, lying on his sickbed, had prematurely grayed from serving the country and its people. In the prime of his life, he was sadly about to pass away.
Yu Zhi stayed by her father's side, holding back her tears. It was hard for Yu Wen to forget to comfort her even at this time.
He was a responsible father and a considerate husband. Liu Boyan tucked him in, her slender, fair fingers trembling slightly.
As husband and wife, she felt no romantic feelings for him, and the years they spent together were enough for her to consider him family.
Yu Wen gave a wink, and Zhao led Xiao Yuzhi out of the room.
The inner room was quiet.
"My time is running out, and my only worry is for you and Zhizhi. I... I have a few words to tell you..."
He forced himself to sit up, leaning against the cushion behind him, and said weakly, "You must find a good family for Zhizhi. It's not easy for a woman to be born. If I'm gone, there will be no one to support the family. You must rely on your maternal family. If there are any problems that even your father-in-law can't solve, you can go to the Empress in the Gan Ning Palace... She... she is a virtuous empress and can stand up for you and your mother..."
On the verge of death, his heart was filled with thoughts of his wife and daughter. Liu Boyan's eyes reddened: "Don't say such discouraging things..."
"No, I have to say." Illness struck like a landslide. Yu Wen had expected this day to come, so he accepted it calmly. He forced a smile. He was clearly young, but fine lines had crept up at the corners of his eyes.
"The Princess treats you very well..."
Liu Boyan stared at his lips.
As he finished speaking, Yu Wen's voice became low and gradually faded into inaudibility.
He lowered his head, but after a short while his complexion suddenly brightened. Liu Boyan's heart sank, knowing that this was a final burst of energy before death.
Even on his deathbed, Yu Wen seemed to have a sudden realization, his eyes clear and bright: "You like the Princess, don't you?"
Liu Boyan was stunned by his astonishing words, her body frozen in shock, and she murmured, "Why did you say that I like Sister Rong?"
She clearly realized that the word "like" wasn't a friend's liking, but rather...
She loved someone so much that she was completely confused, but unexpectedly, it was she herself who broke through that barrier for her in the end.
Yu Wen said firmly, "You love her."
As if speaking the truth, recalling all the confusion and bitterness of the past, Liu Boyan suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment, as if the clouds had parted. Her five fingers unconsciously gripped the quilt tightly: "I have never wronged you."
"I know, I know you are a wonderful woman."
Having lived a life of constant fear and trepidation, he finally spoke his mind. In the end, he wanted to be a true gentleman. He also wanted to be open and proud for once!
He said, "After I leave, you may marry as you please; you do not need to remain chaste for me."
The light in his eyes quickly faded, like a fleeting moment, revealing his final defeat: "I can see that she loves you very much..."
Love requires restraint and distance to suppress the fire in one's heart.
"The luckiest thing in my life isn't becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination and having a successful official career, it's marrying you... Yan'er, I won't restrict you, you, you must also be brave... to love..."
His raised hand fell sadly before it could touch his wife's face.
Liu Boyan stood there, stunned, tears falling silently.
During the coldest time of winter, pale white lanterns were hung in front of the Minister's Mansion as many people came to pay their respects.
Yuzhi was six years old, just beginning to understand the meaning of life and death. Unable to withstand the shock, she fainted from crying in front of the mourning hall.