On the day His Majesty traveled south to Jiangnan, the Empress Dowager took a liking to Miss Xu of the Xu Family in Yangcheng.
“Such a lovely, fresh-faced child ought to become a daughter-in-law of our imperial family.”
As she said this, the Empress Dowager’s gaze seemed to drift, intentionally or not, toward Fu Yanli at my side.
Fu Yanli was the current Fifth Prince, and also my husband.
Later, on the day Miss Xu was to be invested as consort, I stood at the palace gates, clinging to a sliver of hope. “Not even I may enter?”
The guards at the gate all knew me. One by one, they lowered their heads, not daring to meet my eyes. “The Empress Dowager said it wouldn’t matter if anyone else came, but Your Highness, as Crown Princess… you absolutely cannot enter the palace today.”
I nodded, returned to the manor, and picked up the bundle I had packed long ago.
The capital blazed with lights. All at once, I remembered Fu Yanli from that year, when everyone had turned their backs on him.
He had held me tightly, refusing to let go no matter what. “Jianxi, even if I die, I will never betray you.”
