“What’s wrong now? I didn’t even use any force.” Yuwen Chu lowered his head to wipe Mingzhu’s tears, but no matter how much he wiped, they wouldn’t stop. He became anxious and asked, “What’s wrong? Who made you sad? Tell me, and I’ll deal with them!”
Mingzhu shook her head, threw herself into his arms, and wiped her tears on his clothes. Yuwen Chu grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up, looking into her eyes seriously, “Tell me, what’s wrong?”
Mingzhu lowered her eyes and softly said, “I just asked Zhu Shinan to prepare food and guest rooms.”
Yuwen Chu didn’t understand her meaning, “Yes, the guests who arrived this afternoon are very important. We must take good care of them.” He suddenly remembered his previous arrangements and added, “We should also prepare a few more rooms. Ban Jian and his men will be coming too.”
“I’ve already prepared for Ban Jian and his men,” Mingzhu said, her eyes red. “Your Highness, are you planning to go on a campaign yourself?” She had heard about this from Donghui before. It was just an idea back then, but now it was becoming a reality.
Yuwen Chu was silent for a moment and then pulled at the corners of his mouth, “Although I’ve planned for this for a while, why did you suddenly think of it and start crying?”
Mingzhu choked up and said, “I’m not stupid. All of a sudden, you put everything aside to take us to the countryside for a trip. You also told Donghui and Xia Xue that from now on, I am their only master, and they should only listen to me. Also, those people who came today smelled like fish. If they aren’t fishermen, what are they? You brought them here to discuss water battles, didn’t you? Since the defensive line on the Weishui Perimeter was broken by the Xiongnu and Zhongshan cavalry, strengthening the water defenses is essential to defeat the enemy. If they’re here, how can Ban Jian be left out?”
Yuwen Chu sighed, gently hugging her to comfort her, “It’s still early. I’m not leaving yet. It will take some days. But before that, I need to settle things in the capital. Otherwise, I won’t have peace of mind even if I reach the front lines.”
He needed to thoroughly deal with the Great Empress Dowager to ensure she could no longer harm others. He didn’t want to be fighting at the front while losing his home and family due to others’ schemes.
Mingzhu wiped away her tears, “Don’t worry. I’ll do what I need to do.” She paused and added, “I won’t allow anyone to hurt my family or take away what I have, anyone.” Including the Great Empress Dowager. After all this time, it wasn’t easy to have her family alive and well, to have Zhuang Zhuang and Millet. She absolutely wouldn’t allow it.
Yuwen Chu patted her hand and said firmly, “I need to build a large ship and create the strongest, fastest cavalry in the world, equipped with the best crossbows and arrows, to drive out the Xiongnu and annihilate Yuwen Feng and his troops. I want the Great Xia to be the most powerful nation, where the people have clothes to wear, food to eat, care for the lonely and elderly, and a safe and prosperous life, with tribute from all nations.”
As he spoke, he looked ahead, his expression calm and steady, as if he were simply describing what he would have for dinner that evening. Yet his determination was evident. In such moments, Yuwen Chu had a unique charm. He might not be the most handsome, but he was undoubtedly the best-looking in character and presence.
Mingzhu gave him a kiss without hesitation and praised, “You really are the man of my dreams.”
Yuwen Chu glanced at her sideways, “You don’t need to dream. I’m right in front of you. You can do whatever you want with me, and I won’t resist.”
Mingzhu glared at him, “Can you be serious about serious matters? People who don’t know you would think you’re aloof, cold, and always serious. But in reality, it’s not like that at all.” She thought that Yuwen Chu’s vastly different public and private personas were because he often acted too sternly and needed to release his true self occasionally.
Yuwen Chu chuckled softly and held her hand in his palm, unwilling to let go. They were like they had been when they first expressed their feelings for each other, inseparable and unwilling to part even for a moment.
When the carriage arrived outside the estate, the head steward, Zhu Shinan, came forward to greet them and reported on the situation with the palace envoy: “Only one arrived, named Jian Zhou. He said his companion rushed through the rain last night and fell into a ditch, drowning with his horse. When he heard that His Highness and Wangfei were out, he begged us to send someone to help retrieve the bodies. Thinking it would be unlucky to bring a dead body into our estate, we had them send the bodies directly to the capital after retrieving them. By now, the news should have reached the capital.”
Yuwen Chu said, “You handled it well. Where is he?”
Zhu Shinan smiled, “This man is quite interesting. After learning we sent someone to retrieve the bodies, he asked for food, then said he felt unwell. He didn’t inquire about Your Highness’s whereabouts or return, and directly collapsed. We checked on him just now, and he’s still unconscious.”
Smart man. He knew he wasn’t welcome here and also knew that Yuwen Chu wouldn’t return to the capital to care for the Great Empress Dowager, so to ensure his own well-being, he simply and decisively fell ill. This way, it provided an explanation to both sides.
“No wonder he managed to survive,” Yuwen Chu remarked, instructing Zhu Shinan, “Since he’s running a high fever that won’t subside, have someone prepare medicine for him and let him recover properly. Once he’s well, we can ask him what happened.”
Zhu Shinan chuckled. The imperial edict and seal disappeared along with the two palace envoys who died. Presumably, they were washed away by the water in the canal. Now, the only survivor was “in a feverish coma.” In this situation, no one would know what the palace intended. By the time another message arrived from the palace, it would take several days, and by then, Peng Liang’s case would be settled and the truth would be clear. The Regent and Wangfei would definitely return in a grand manner, not in the disgraceful way of “returning to the palace to care for the sick.”
As expected, the rain arrived on time. This rain wasn’t as heavy as last night’s, having a more gentle touch. The house remained stuffy, so Mingzhu had a dining table set up under the veranda. She and Yuwen Chu ate dinner with their two children. The newly opened plum wine was just the right sweetness, paired with freshly caught fish and shrimp and vegetables grown on the estate—it was a delightful meal, and everyone ate a lot.
Soon, as darkness fell and the heavy rain turned into a drizzle, Ye Xiu came in to report, “They have arrived, Your Highness. Where would you like to meet them?”
Ban Jian and his men had arrived. Yuwen Chu instructed Ye Xiu, “Considering his status, let him come in and pay his respects to Wangfei.”
Wearing a straw raincoat and hat, Ban Jian came in with a cheerful smile, hastily paying his respects to Yuwen Chu before hurrying over to Mingzhu, speaking with a familiar tone, “I haven’t seen you in years, Wangfei. I’ve missed you very much.”
