Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I must have been unconscious for a very long time. I dreamed of many things from the past, and upon waking, I learned that Princess Nan’an, whom His Majesty had been searching for for years, had returned a few days ago.

Searching for years? Princess Nan’an?

…Sister Zhaozhao!!

I climbed out of bed, my steps still weak and unsteady. I stumbled toward the door, falling several times in the short distance from the bed to the entrance. Fortunately, Changying pushed the door open just in time and caught me, helping me up.

“Huai’an, you’re finally awake. How do you feel?”

“I’m fine, Changying. Where is Princess Nan’an? Take me to see her quickly…”

“Huai’an!”

Before I could even finish my sentence, I heard someone calling my name from outside. I looked up over Changying’s shoulder, and when I saw who it was, I froze in place.

“Sister?”

A trail of tears rolled uncontrollably down my face, followed by another, and another… My shoulders trembled as I pulled the person before me into a tight embrace.

“Don’t cry, Huai’an. You’re still sick.”

I reached up to wipe my face. “I’m alright, it’s just a cold. Don’t worry, Sister.”

“But I’ve come to see you twice since I returned, and you were unconscious both times. How did you get so sick?”

Qi Zhaozhao turned to look at Qi Yu, who was standing behind her. “Ah Yu, what did the imperial physician say?”

Only then did I notice that Qi Yu was also there.

“The physician… only said it was a cold. Sister, it’s cold by the door. Let’s go inside and sit.”

“Then you must instruct the physicians to be more careful. Even if it’s just a cold, if it leaves a lasting weakness, it will be very difficult to cure.”

As Sister Zhaozhao spoke, she pulled the thick cloak from her own shoulders and draped it over me. Qi Yu merely hummed in agreement repeatedly, not saying much else.

We sat together and talked for a long time, and only then did I learn that Sister Zhaozhao had suffered greatly over the years.

She had been abducted back then. The bandits had blindfolded her and forced her to travel for nearly half a month. Although she later managed to escape by chance, she was severely injured. Because she had been blindfolded the entire way, she had no sense of direction. The village she ended up in was remote and unknown; Sister Zhaozhao couldn’t find any information, so she could only beg along the streets and walk based on her vague impressions. To her dismay, she only ended up wandering further away.

Later, she accidentally fell off a cliff. While her life hung by a thread, she was rescued by a passing scholar. However, she hit her head during the fall and lost some of her memories. For all these years, she had been living with that scholar.

That scholar was very kind to Sister Zhaozhao, and the two eventually married. Under his meticulous care, Sister Zhaozhao slowly regained her memory. But by then, Qi Yu was already the Emperor, and the palace walls were heavily guarded; news of Sister Zhaozhao could not reach the inside. It just so happened that the scholar was planning to participate in the Spring Imperial Examination the following year, so the two agreed to travel together. They had only arrived in the capital a few days ago.

I listened in a daze, my heart filled with an indescribable bitterness knowing she had suffered so much.

Sister Zhaozhao seemed to see through my thoughts and comforted me, “Blessings follow in the wake of disaster, Huai’an. If not for this experience, I never would have met Minglang. Some things are simply arranged by Heaven; we cannot escape them.”

Standing to the side, Qi Yu spoke up, “I wonder if that fellow is actually good to you, Sister.”

“Ah Yu, do not be rude. He saved my life. Minglang is very good to me, and I truly love him.”

Qi Yu curled his lip, seemingly harboring a thousand grievances against the man, but he said no more.

Sister Zhaozhao continued:

“As for the two of you, so many years have passed and you’ve both grown up. Have either of you met someone you love?”

I set down the osmanthus cake that Sister Zhaozhao had brought, looked at Changying standing not far away, and then pulled my gaze back.

“Sister, I’m married.”

“Married? Our Huai’an is married!”

Sister Zhaozhao stood up and took my hands, her eyes filled with an indescribable joy.

“Which young master is it? Is he in the palace right now? Hurry, bring him here so I can see him.”

I smiled and nodded. “He’s here.”

As if suddenly forgetting all my physical pain, I ran toward Changying with light steps and took his hand to lead him before my sister.

“Sister, this is my husband. His name is Changying.”

Changying knelt down politely. “Your servant, Changying, greets Princess Nan’an.”

Changying was wearing the standard uniform of the palace eunuchs. Sister Zhaozhao froze for a visible moment, but she reacted quickly, reaching out to help Changying up.

“Please, rise. There is no need for such formality. Since you have taken Huai’an as your wife, you may call me ‘Sister’ just as she does.”

“‘Sister’? He’s nothing but a castrated slave. How is he worthy?”

Qi Yu rose from his seat, staring coldly at Changying and me.

The warm and peaceful atmosphere was instantly frozen by Qi Yu’s words. I gripped Changying’s hand tightly, staring at Qi Yu without saying a word.

Changying is my husband. When we married, there was no command from parents and no words from a matchmaker. No one blessed us to grow old together in harmony; even the seats for the elders were empty during our ceremony.

My mother entrusted me to Sister Zhaozhao before she died, making her the person I am closest to in this world. I only wanted to share this joy with her; I only wanted to hear someone sincerely bless us. But Qi Yu simply had to destroy this warmth to be happy.

I didn’t understand. Now that Sister Zhaozhao was back, why did he still find me such an eyesore? Why did he have to humiliate Changying and me in public?

“Ah Yu, who allowed you to speak like that? By your logic, should I also perform the three prostrations and nine kowtows to you and address you as ‘Your Majesty’? In that case, stop calling me ‘Sister’ and just call me ‘Princess’.”

“I… I didn’t mean it like that.”

Though Sister Zhaozhao spoke those words, Qi Yu was the Son of Heaven after all. Since his pride had just been wounded, it wasn’t right for us to stay. This was Qi Yu’s bedchamber, where I had been staying while unconscious. Now that I was awake, there was no reason to remain.

“Sister, it’s getting late. We will come to see you again tomorrow.”

“Alright. I’ll have someone escort you back.”

“No need, Sister. With Changying here, I’m not afraid of the dark.”