Yu Wang departed for Liangzhou with He Wanyi in tow. Due to her condition, Yu Wangfei could not see him off personally. Instead, she hand-stitched a sachet for him and tied it to his waist, tears streaming down her face.
Tearfully, she gazed at Yu Wang. “I have never been separated from you since our marriage, and it pains me beyond words that I cannot accompany you this time. Once I have given birth, i will come to Liangzhou to reunite with you.”
Yu Wang embraced her, seeing her red-rimmed eyes and sorrowful expression. Years of marital affection surged in his heart, and he said gently, “You are with child, yet I cannot stay by your side. Take care of yourself and don’t make me worry.”
“I will do as you say, Wangye. This is our first child—I will bring him safely into the world.” Yu Wangfei gripped his hand tightly. “Please take care of yourself on the journey. Wait for me.”
With deep emotion, Yu Wangfei bid farewell to Yu Wang. But the moment he left, her sorrowful expression vanished, replaced by a look of utter disgust.
Even acting out such a scene in front of someone she loathed had been exhausting.
She hadn’t expected to be pregnant—heaven itself was showing her mercy. Such a golden opportunity could not be wasted.
So she deliberately played the virtuous wife, never once blaming He Wanyi. Instead, she even defended her.
The more gracious she appeared, the more upset Yu Wang became.
After all, it was because of He Wanyi that he was being exiled.
She had anticipated that He Wanyi would be impatient and seek her out—and everything had unfolded exactly as she had planned.
Even if Yu Wang no longer loved her as he had in their newlywed days, this child was still their firstborn. if she delivered safely, it would also be the emperor’s first legitimate grandchild.
How could Yu Wang not value this?
He Wanyi still dreamed of lording over her—what a fantasy.
She was the one who had to follow Yu Wang to the bitterly cold Liangzhou and suffer, while she herself could remain in the capital. Just thinking about it filled her with joy.
Although Yu Wang had been sent away, his noble title remained. As long as she was still Yu Wangfei, that was enough.
As for when Yu Wang would return to the capital, she found that she no longer cared in the slightest.
Before leaving the capital, Yu Wang went to bid farewell to the emperor, but the emperor refused to see him.
After Yu Wang’s departure, the capital fell into silence.
Huang Shao was seriously injured, and the matters concerning the Imperial Horse Bureau were put on hold. The emperor showed no concern over Huang Shao’s assassination attempt, which in itself was a statement. The court officials took the hint—who would dare stir up trouble at such a time? only those who had grown tired of living.
In the blink of an eye, the New Year was approaching, and Duan Qi finally returned to the capital.
Madam Jiang had been deeply worried over Duan Qi’s delayed return, her mood worsening each time she saw Mingxi, though she dared neither voice her complaints nor scold anyone. She could only stew in her own frustration, which was unbearably suffocating.
Madam Xiao, after a snowfall, had rarely left her residence, focusing on rest and preparing for childbirth. Mingxi visited her every few days and was relieved to see her complexion healthy and her spirits high—clearly, she was being well taken care of.
With Duan Qi’s return, Madam Jiang’s mood lifted dramatically, and even Madam Xiao was able to go outside for a walk with the support of a maid.
That evening, after a family reunion dinner at Rongan Hall, Mingxi finally had the chance to speak with Duan Qi in private.
“The situation in Qinan is complicated,” Duan Qi reported. “I passed on the information to Marquis Fengcheng, but he didn’t take any action. He only told me to relay to you that there will be a battle in Qinan around the New Year.”
Mingxi’s pupils contracted slightly. She looked at Duan Qi and asked, “Did Marquis Fengcheng say anything else?”
Duan Qi shook his head. “No. But he looked deeply worried. Qinan’s soldiers frequently harass our borders, and I heard that Young Master Xiao has been in the army training and has already slain many enemies.”
“You met Young Master Xiao?” Mingxi asked with a smile.
“No, I arrived just as he was out on patrol,” Duan Qi replied. He then looked up at his elder sister, his expression serious. “Sister, Qinan is just a small country, yet it repeatedly disrupts Great Chu’s peace. Why not send troops to take it down once and for all?”
Mingxi wasn’t surprised by his question. If it had been Duan Yu, he wouldn’t have given it much thought, but Duan Qi was different.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Duan Qi remained silent. He had asked because he couldn’t figure it out.
“Have you seen Qinan’s topographical maps?” she inquired.
Duan Qi shook his head. “No.”
“I used to wonder the same thing—why we couldn’t simply conquer Qinan. But after looking at the maps, I understood. You should take a look too.”
Duan Qi nodded. “Alright.”
This trip had clearly made him more mature. Having seen the outside world, he now understood that life beyond the capital’s prosperity was vastly different, and that realization had changed him.
Though he had studied in Luo Zhou for years, Luo Zhou was a bustling city, incomparable to the border regions where Marquis Fengcheng was stationed.
“If only there were no wars in this world,” Duan Qi murmured.
Mingxi lifted her gaze to him. The boy’s face bore a hint of despondency; the innocence in his eyes had faded, replaced by a newfound heaviness.
“Where there are people, there will be conflict,” she said. “It is simply human nature.”
She had once been unable to understand why Gao Zhan wouldn’t simply live peacefully with her. She had beauty, talent, and capability; she could manage a household and stand her ground in society. Yet, he had treated her like an old shoe, utterly disregarding her.
Later, she understood—it wasn’t that she wasn’t good enough, but simply that she wasn’t what Gao Zhan desired.
If it was like this for one person, how much more so for an entire nation?
When desires and ambitions differ, conflict naturally arises.
Duan Qi mulled over her words, his heart growing heavier. Human nature?
Then what was his own nature?
For a moment, he didn’t want to think about it any further. He stood up and took his leave. “Sister, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going back now.”
“Alright.”
Back in his own quarters, the first thing Duan Qi did was retrieve Records of Mountains and Rivers and find Qinan’s topographical map.
One glance, and he fell silent.
Qinan was mountainous, with a complex terrain where mountain ridges connected endlessly. Even with his limited military knowledge, he could tell that waging war in such a place would be incredibly difficult.
No wonder that even when Qinan suffered defeat, it always managed to recover and attack Great Chu again. Even if they lost, they could simply retreat into the mountains, where Great Chu’s armies would be unable to pursue them.
Moreover, few officials in court supported war, and the emperor, being of advanced age, favored peace. Duan Qi had sensed this from recent events—the emperor preferred a diplomatic approach to Qinan and was unwilling to engage in full-scale conflict.
Thinking again about the Imperial Horse Bureau incident, Duan Qi felt an even greater weight on his heart.
Only now did he truly begin to understand the difficulties faced by Marquis Fengcheng.
The day after his return, Duan Qi visited the Jiang family. Having spent years studying in Luo Zhou, he could not sever ties with his maternal family.
However, he hadn’t expected that his grandmother and aunt would try to persuade him to convince his elder sister to have their cousin marry Duan Wang as a side consort.
Duan Qi was so shocked that he thought he had misheard. He was still young and couldn’t hide his emotions well, so his expression darkened on the spot.
His sister wasn’t even married to Duan Wang yet, and the Jiang family was already trying to get a share of the benefits? The way they went about it was simply disgraceful.
From what his aunt said, even his mother had agreed to it.
Filled with anger, he stormed back to the Marquis’s residence and went straight to Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang, happy to see her son, was completely caught off guard when he immediately confronted her with accusations. She was stunned.
What?
A side consort?
Hadn’t she refused?
She never expected that her own mother and sister-in-law had gone behind her back like this.
it was truly a disaster out of nowhere.
