Ah Hao had always known that Zhang Yu and Prince Ning had a deep brotherly bond, but such a deep bond was extremely rare in the royal family. Prince Ning had indeed never harbored any ulterior motives, Ah Hao thought, perhaps because Prince Ning had been protected and raised by his sixth brother.
From the time she became acquainted with Prince Ning, she often heard him refer to him as "Sixth Brother." At that time, she must have been eleven years old, and Prince Ning was only twelve. She heard it and forgot about it, never taking it to heart. If she had been more attentive back then, perhaps she would have more memories related to Zhang Yu.
This year's New Year was spent alone between Ahao and Zhang Yu. It wasn't always as lively with just the two of them, but it also lacked the usual formalities. They prepared the New Year's Eve dinner together; it was simple yet heartwarming. After dinner, Zhang Yu took Ahao to set off fireworks.
Zhang Yu wasn't afraid at all. He lit the fireworks himself and even encouraged Ahao to go too. Ahao was terrified. After lighting them, she ran away immediately and was laughed at for being a coward. But being a coward is better than getting hurt. The fireworks soared into the sky with a whooshing sound and exploded with a tremendous roar.
Ah Hao was held in Zhang Yu's arms, his ears shielded from the noise. In that moment, they did nothing but stay close together, feeling infinitely content. After the fireworks shattered, they scattered in all directions, the scattered sparks falling back onto the stream, creating ripples.
Even if such peaceful and tranquil moments would never come again, she felt content. Ah Hao thought to herself, turning to look at Zhang Yu, only to find him looking at her too. In Zhang Yu's eyes, she saw her own smiling face.
Ah Hao turned around, and in the instant another firework exploded, she tiptoed closer to Zhang Yu and placed a kiss on his lips. Her eyes were brimming as she looked at Zhang Yu and whispered something, but it was swallowed up by the sound of the fireworks shattering.
Zhang Yu seemed to understand, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to sparkle. He moved closer to Ahao, not satisfied with that fleeting kiss, and smiled as he pulled her back into his arms, lowering his head to cover her soft, sweet-smelling lips.
Behind them, the dazzling lights illuminated a beautiful scene.
·
The day after the Lantern Festival, Prince Ning stormed into Jingyun Nunnery. It was still early, just before sunrise. Seeing Prince Ning's state, Ahao wondered what was wrong, but when he arrived before Zhang Yu, he demanded the person and inquired about Ling Xiao's whereabouts.
"I went to the border." Zhang Yu replied to Prince Ning calmly, without changing his expression or skipping a beat.
Prince Ning was initially furious, but upon hearing this, his anger immediately dissipated.
Ah Hao thought to herself that she had originally assumed Ling Xiao would travel with them, but Zhang Yu had unexpectedly let her go ahead. Seeing Ning Wang's reaction, she wondered if he also thought they could wait until March, or if he had only just learned of this.
"Three years?" Prince Ning asked again.
"If she performs well, it's not impossible for her to come back in two years."
Prince Ning took a deep breath to calm himself, nodded slightly, and said in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll wait." The dejection on his face was quite obvious.
Seeing Zhang Yu looking over, knowing he had something special to say to Prince Ning, she said she was going to brew two cups of tea and left. After Ahao left, Zhang Yu said, "She has to go; this is her only chance to redeem herself."
"Atonement? What...did she do?" Prince Ning was stunned, not knowing what Zhang Yu was referring to.
Zhang Yu did not try to hide anything, saying, "The Empress's death is related to her."
Prince Ning paused again, his doubts deepening. "Didn't she die of illness? Did she tamper with something? But..." He thought this didn't make sense. Although Ling Xiao was in charge of taking care of Empress Shen, there were other imperial physicians. If she had tampered with something, there was no reason why the other imperial physicians wouldn't have noticed.
"Otherwise, why do you think she would run away?" Zhang Yu chuckled. "This is a grudge between her and Shen Wanru. It's her skill that she managed to keep it a secret. She wouldn't lose her life over this, but she still has to make some amends."
If he hadn't been reborn, he wouldn't have noticed anything amiss. If Ling Xiao hadn't made a pact with A-Hao to escape together, she might actually have managed to get away. Although Ling Xiao gave him an explanation, he felt there might be other reasons hidden behind it.
If Ling Xiao's purpose in entering the palace was solely for this, then this person could still be used. She did it discreetly and almost without leaving a trace, which was truly impressive. Since there was a use for Ling Xiao, he had no reason to miss such a good opportunity. This was also good for her and Xiao Shi.
“Once it’s done, she will naturally get what she deserves,” Zhang Yu replied.
Prince Ning seemed to know what Zhang Yu was referring to, and still smiled bitterly, but changed his words, saying, "It's enough that she comes back alive."
“With her personality, she’ll get along well anywhere,” Zhang Yu said. Prince Ning nodded in agreement, but his expression was grave as he returned to Lin’an with heavy thoughts.
·
After the New Year holidays, Zhang Xin's wedding day drew closer. As a princess, her marriage was governed by a set of rules and etiquette. Xia Mingzhe paid special attention to this, personally overseeing every detail to ensure Zhang Xin had the best possible wedding.
Perhaps Zhang Xin and Xia Mingzhe had already agreed that after their marriage, they would move into the princess's residence. While the young couple would be comfortable living alone, Zhang Xin would have to take charge of the household affairs. Zhang Xin waved her hand dismissively, saying with great confidence that everyone could rest assured. Hearing her words only made it more impossible not to care.
Zhang Yu said they would set off from Lin'an after Zhang Xin's wedding, and Ahao started packing in advance. Since they were going to the border, a long journey, she felt that they should travel light and bring as little as possible, so she naturally had to choose carefully.
Seeing that she was willing to give up everything, Zhang Yu said that there were many things that couldn't be found at the border, and told her to bring as much as she needed and was used to. That would be no small task, and A-Hao would have plenty to do.
Zhang Xin's wedding was set for the third day of the third lunar month, a beautiful time of spring when willow branches sprouted new buds and peach trees were in full bloom. On her wedding day, the entire city of Lin'an was bustling with activity. The ten-mile-long procession of red bridal procession was dazzling with color, and wherever the bridal sedan chair went, it was adorned with flowers.
Ah Hao met Zhang Xin at the princess's residence. Perhaps she was still reluctant to marry, for her eyes were swollen from crying, and two tear streaks marred her makeup. But when she saw Ah Hao, she was very happy, and the words she said while holding Ah Hao's hand were not quite what they seemed.
"Ah Hao, I heard you're leaving too. Aunt Ling is gone, and you and the Emperor are both in the same boat, leaving me all alone. Aren't you all being a little too cruel..."
"You'll be back soon," Ahao comforted her. "The Princess and Prince Ning are here, and the Prince Consort is with you too. It's such a joyous occasion, so be happy." She smiled. "I remember the little princess saying that now that Lord Xia has become the Prince Consort, he's someone you'll be protecting. You'd better treat him well."
"How could I be bad to him?" Zhang Xin snorted. "He's the one who should be bad to me, otherwise I would have asked my tenth brother to beat him into a pig's head!"
She suddenly remembered what Xia Mingzhe had said: once he became the prince consort, he could live a life of luxury and would have to rely on her for everything. She felt a surge of joy and thought she was amazing.
Ling Xiao said this was called a legitimate way to keep a gigolo. If Xia Mingzhe didn't perform well, she could simply find another one and start over. If Xia Mingzhe displeased her, even if she was forty, she could have a twenty-year-old playboy serving her.
Zhang Xin thought about it and agreed that it wasn't bad. However, she hadn't told Xia Mingzhe about this yet. If Xia Mingzhe ever treated her badly, she would definitely tell him.
Ah Hao had no idea what Zhang Xin was thinking about, but seeing a smile playing on her lips, she figured she wasn't dwelling on those thoughts anymore. Ah Hao had always thought that Zhang Xin's easygoing nature was a good thing; her happiness and unhappiness were fleeting, and no emotion lingered for long, so she seemed to have no worries at all.
Only after Zhang Xin had thought it through did she belatedly realize and say, "Ah Hao, from now on you will be the Empress, I should call you sister-in-law, we are family."
Ah Hao smiled and said, "These things aren't urgent; we can analyze them later. But you're all covered in graffiti; that won't do. You should have someone bring hot water to wash up and get ready, otherwise the Prince Consort will probably take a long time to recognize you."
"You're indirectly calling me ugly, huh? You've gone bad." Zhang Xin wrinkled her nose, but still smiled, showing no annoyance.
Author's note: Finally, I can switch to a different dungeon. *laughing and crying emoji*
If the other two couples' situations aren't clearly explained, it will be even more difficult to discuss them after they separate.
When you came back, you two little buns were there, and you looked so confused. lol
One reader correctly guessed Ling Xiao's situation back then, which was very clever! O(∩_∩)O~
Although Zhang Xin is willful, I still really want to say something...
I hope everyone can be a pampered princess! Do whatever you want! o(*￣▽￣*)ブ