The news of the fall of the Northern Frontier and the crippling injuries sustained by the Seventh Prince quickly spread throughout the entire capital.
If it had only been the former, there naturally would have been singing and dancing. The whole capital would have celebrated, wearing colorful silks, performing dragon and lion dances, and preparing to line the streets to welcome the Seventh Prince's arrival.
However.
This news just had to be accompanied by the latter piece of information.
Eastern Depot.
In the dimly lit hall of the Depot, a eunuch dressed in dark red robes sat, a faint scar visible at the end of his eyebrow.
Chen Jian stood at the doorway and glanced inside. He then waved away a young eunuch and brought forward the documents concerning the recent trivial affairs of the Eastern Depot.
"Director."
"There is a backlog of matters requiring your attention. If they are not reviewed in time, His Majesty will punish us."
Wen Xiaochun opened his eyes and said calmly, "Oh, just leave them there."
He looked no different from his usual cautious and meticulous self, yet Chen Jian inexplicably felt a hint of incongruity.
He narrowed his eyes and probed with a remark.
"The people below are all wondering what rewards His Majesty will bestow upon the Seventh Prince when he returns to the capital. Breaching the Royal Court is already an illustrious military achievement. Returning with injuries, out of pity, His Majesty will likely more than double the rewards."
A smile tugged at the corner of Wen Xiaochun's mouth. He looked up at him. "Vice Director Chen, surely you didn't come all this way just to speak such nonsense with me."
Chen Jian: "No, I just wanted to remind you, Director."
After he finished speaking, he turned and was about to leave, but Wen Xiaochun called out, "Wait."
"I remember that in the Border Inspectorate, there are still a few eunuchs who did not participate in the treason. They are not dead and are currently being held in the border city's prison."
Chen Jian: "Yes."
Wen Xiaochun: "Since they were once men of the Eastern Depot, they should be brought back to be dealt with by the Eastern Depot. It is not appropriate for them to remain at the border. I intend to send people from the Eastern Depot to the border to bring those two back. What does Vice Director Chen think?"
"I naturally agree," Chen Jian paused. "However, since it is a shameful matter for our own faction, it would be better to handle it discreetly."
Wen Xiaochun: "The Vice Director is thoughtful."
After Chen Jian left, Wen Xiaochun tapped on the table, and two trusted Depot guards emerged from the shadows.
"Keep an eye on him and see where he goes."
"Yes, sir."
The Fifth Prince's Residence.
"Secretly dispatching personnel to the border shouldn't be for the sake of fetching those men from the Inspectorate; there must be another purpose," Chen Jian said softly. "Moreover, I fear I might have been followed coming here to see you. My allegiance has likely been exposed."
"But that doesn't matter much. On the surface, Your Highness works for the Sixth Prince."
The Fifth Prince: "The Seventh Brother returns to the capital severely injured, and Wen Xiaochun immediately sends people to the border... Do you think someone ordered him to do this, or was it his own initiative? And what are they going to do at the border?"
Chen Jian: "I don't know, but his actions this time are suspicious."
It could be that His Majesty sent them, or perhaps someone else did. It's unclear.
The Fifth Prince: "Insert a few of your men among those going to the border. If there is any anomaly, report to me immediately."
After Cui Rongrong retired to his hometown, the Eastern Depot was gradually taken over by the new Director and Vice Director.
Chen Jian: "Your Highness."
He hesitated for a moment before saying, "You don't look very well."
The Fifth Prince's desk was uncharacteristically messy, his lips were dry and cracked, and his hair crown was slightly loose.
"It's nothing," the Fifth Prince said. "The plans I've been scheming are about to come to fruition, so naturally, I am a bit agitated."
Chen Jian bowed and withdrew.
The Xi Residence.
Ever since the night he heard the news.
Xi Zixing fell ill.
He had endured in the Hanlin Academy for nearly a year, and just as he was about to be appointed a position in the Six Ministries with a bright future ahead, taking a prolonged sick leave would mean the opportunity would be given to someone else.
Because of this, Xi Shiqiu wished he could pour all the medicine down his throat in one go.
"The doctor took your pulse and said it's nothing serious. Since you're fine, you still need to go and report for duty. At the beginning of next month, you can go to the Six Ministries, and once you pass the assessment, you will be a Supervising Secretary. Right now, you should be making plenty of preparations..."
Xi Zixing, with his hair down and barefoot, sat by the window with an indifferent expression.
"There is no need, Father."
Xi Shiqiu choked on his words.
After a long while, he sighed. "Why must you do this? Following the Seventh Prince is not as good as standing firmly behind His Majesty. You haven't entered the Six Ministries yet and are not deeply involved in partisan struggles. As long as you remain loyal to His Majesty from now on, no one will gossip about your past."
"It's not about following him," Xi Zixing said. "He never agreed to let me follow him. It was merely my own selfish desire."
He and Xia Fuyang were actually the same. At the very beginning, they wanted to impose their own will upon the Seventh Prince, wanting him to fight, to compete, and to emerge victorious in the war for succession.
But after spending a long time together and figuring out the Seventh Prince's temperament, this kind of imposed will never appeared again.
Because they knew that once they did so, the bond of friendship between them and the Seventh Prince would cease to exist.
"I once told him jokingly that if he was in the imperial court, I would be in the imperial court. If he was not in the court, I would follow him to his fiefdom to be his advisor. That was not a joke."
"Given the current situation, it doesn't matter if I don't enter the Six Ministries."
Xi Shiqiu pointed at his head. "How did I give birth to a son like you!"
Xi Zixing acted as if he hadn't heard, turning his hand to pour the medicinal broth from the bowl into a flower pot in the room.
"A person without illness has no need for medicine."
Nanning.
The Imperial Palace.
The floor was littered with shattered porcelain that had crashed to the ground.
The Emperor of Nanning: "What a bunch of useless trash!"
"The Northern Frontier's Royal Court was actually penetrated by the Great Zhou! The floods and plagues didn't drag them down, they found a way to resolve the food shortage without resorting to forced conscription, and they discovered the location of the natural moat without anyone knowing, cutting off our plan to join forces with the Northern Frontier to wear down the Great Zhou."
"The tripartite balance of power has been shattered just like that...?"
The Emperor of Nanning glared at the eunuch who delivered the message. He took a step forward, and the eunuch took a step back, finally dropping to his knees with a thud, trembling in fear.
The Emperor of Nanning kicked him.
"Such an unlucky message has truly soiled my ears. Drag him out and execute him!"
The young messenger eunuch didn't even have a chance to wail before his mouth was gagged and he was dragged away.
The Chief Eunuch asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, regarding Zhennan Pass, shall we continue?"
"We cannot just withdraw our troops directly," the Emperor of Nanning said. "Yu Ruo is a useless piece of trash! Who knows what obscure corner Xu Tingfeng popped out from, but he can't even defeat a man whose legs have been crippled for over a decade! Tell him to get his ass back here!"
The Northern Frontier had already been swallowed up by the Great Zhou, and the advantage Nanning had fought for at Zhennan Pass had been forced back step by step by Xu Tingfeng. If they continued to fight, Nanning would gain no benefit.
"Yes."
The Emperor of Nanning: "The only good news is that this Seventh Prince or whatever is crippled. Otherwise, he would have been truly difficult to deal with..."
Zhennan Pass.
The moonlight was soft and graceful.
Yu Ruo held a jug of wine and sat alone inside his tent.
He was the only person there, yet there were two bowls on the table.
After pouring for himself, he filled the other empty bowl. He picked up his bowl and clinked it against the other.
"I thought I would see you climb higher step by step."
Qu Dubian.
Yu Ruo's thoughts drifted back to the night he returned to Nanning from the Great Zhou, drinking wine on the roof with Qu Dubian.
His mother's bloodline doomed him to suffer the disdain and harassment of his other brothers after birth. From childhood to adulthood, because his facial features somewhat resembled those of the Northern Frontier people, he was also not favored by his imperial father.
His childhood and adolescence were filled with gloom, schemes, his mother's guilty looks, and her helpless weeping.
He knew that he would never have a way to inherit the throne, nor would he ever be able to reach that highest step to bestow benevolent governance upon the people of the world and bring peace to the four seas.
Even if he usurped the authority, the court ministers would not acknowledge him.
Oppression through sheer force would only result in chaos and rivers of blood.
Therefore, he hoped there was someone who could do it.
Among the royal descendants of Nanning, those brothers of his, none were capable. Some had been raised to be useless, some were deceitful, and some took after their imperial father...
Later, he encountered the Seventh Prince of the Great Zhou.
Gradually, he felt that perhaps the Seventh Prince could be a benevolent ruler.
Even if he was not the monarch of his own country.
Over the past three years, listening to news of the Seventh Prince, he was simultaneously delighted by the sharp edge he revealed and increasingly wary of him, wanting to kill him to eliminate a future formidable enemy of Nanning.
What a pity.
Yu Ruo said, "Fate mocks us."
He downed the wine in his bowl in one gulp.
-
Xu Tingfeng's tent.
After reading the message, he remained silent for a long time.
Xue Letian felt as if there were needles in his bottom; he couldn't sit still no matter how hard he tried.
"Could you just say something? I'm begging you, just give me a word!"
Getting angry was fine, but saying nothing was the scariest part, alright?
Xu Tingfeng: "If the news were true, Eldest Uncle would have written to us long ago."
The Northern Frontier was now mostly peaceful, and Xia Fuyang alone was enough to garrison the border and wrap things up. Having laid down the border affairs that had worried him for a lifetime, if Little Seven had truly become what the letter described, then as long as Eldest Uncle had a breath left in him, he would personally escort Little Seven back to the capital.
Instead of staying at the border.
Xue Letian was startled. "Are you saying the news is fake...? That can't be."
Xu Tingfeng cast a glance at him.
Xue Letian hurriedly covered his mouth and slapped it a few times. "I misspoke, it must be fake!"
Xu Tingfeng: "Since he cannot speak of it, it must be inconvenient to do so. Here at Zhennan Pass, even though I am the commander-in-chief, there are still many prying eyes around me."
"True. The weapon smuggling case you asked me to investigate is tied to the imperial court, isn't it?" Xue Letian curled his lips. "It's truly unbelievable, especially during wartime."
Xu Tingfeng: "You don't need to intervene. While you were investigating, you found that another group of people was also gathering evidence, so this matter will definitely be brought before the imperial court. It's just unknown how it will end."
Xue Letian: "Yes."
He carefully scrutinized Xu Tingfeng. "Are you really this composed? Not even submitting a memorial to return to the capital to check?"
"No need."
There were only three possible situations for Little Seven right now.
First, it was exactly as he guessed: Little Seven was fine, and the news was fake. Returning to the capital in this manner meant he either had something to do or was avoiding the limelight.
Second, Little Seven had indeed engaged in battle with Jirgal and suffered severe injuries, which was an accident.
Third, Little Seven's severe injuries were real, but it was not an accident, rather, it was man-made.
In the first two scenarios, whether he worried or returned to the capital would be useless, because the outcome of the matter wouldn't change.
In the latter scenario, only by not returning to the capital could he hold onto the military power of Zhennan Pass to exert pressure.
Xu Tingfeng picked up his teacup to take a sip, only to find it empty. After setting it down, his icy fingertips curled into his palm.
"Send a letter to Eldest Uncle. Use the merchant routes, not the official ones."
-
Qu Dubian traveled intermittently along the way.
Compared to the heavy atmosphere when he arrived, his mood upon returning was much more relaxed.
He even had the mind to appreciate the beautiful scenery along the road—in a 2D cartoon version.
Everything had become adorable.
The others didn't quite understand why the Seventh Prince, always wearing a blindfold, would get up from his wheelchair to stroll around, often crouching in front of rocks and bushes by the roadside as if he could see them.
On this stretch of road onward from Shanming Pass, light snow fell every day.
At this moment, Qu Dubian was crouching in front of a large tree, the edges of his thick cloak dusted with snowflakes.
Yi Shier held an umbrella and stood behind Qu Dubian, saying softly, "In front of Your Highness is a red winter mushroom covered with snow."
"Oh..."
Qu Dubian: "It's quite pretty."
Except, in his eyes, it looked like a two-toned scoop of ice cream.
During the team's rest breaks, he would make little snowmen here, lining up the finished snowmen side by side with the red winter mushroom.
The accompanying physician pushed the wheelchair over and said worriedly, "Your Highness, you should come up and sit down. Don't you feel pain in your legs from crouching and standing up like this?"
Qu Dubian: "Coming. I happen to be tired, too."
When he stood up, Yi Shier supported him and then kept holding his arm, guiding him to the wheelchair.
Qu Dubian went to the campfire to eat something. "How is Jirgal doing?"
Yi Shier: "Alive, and handled."
Jirgal was being escorted back to the capital. The journey should have been uneventful, but he had told Xia Fuyang things he shouldn't have.
The situation in the capital was unclear. If he recklessly leaked it out again, saying even a few fragmented words, Xia Fuyang would likely be targeted by the mastermind behind the scenes, putting the Xia family in a dangerous position.
After finishing his food, Qu Dubian clapped his hands.
"Let's continue our journey."
-
Early December.
Light snow in the capital.
The Seventh Prince arrived at the capital.
The commoners of the capital lined the streets to welcome him. Emperor Chongzhao wore his court attire and, accompanied by civil and military officials, personally welcomed the Seventh Prince's triumphant return outside the Meridian Gate.
Except for the First Prince, who was far away in Lingbei, all the other princes were present.
Zhiyi was also impressively among them.
Standing on the sides, among the officials further away from the emperor, some were whispering to each other, "Welcoming him from the Meridian Gate, this is unprecedented since His Majesty ascended the throne."
"What do you know? Originally, the Ministry of Rites planned to receive him at the Qianji Gate, but His Majesty specified the Meridian Gate. When it was announced, it wasn't during a grand court assembly, and neither you nor I were there, so we didn't see it. At the time, many lords in the court were shocked, but..."
The speaking official waved his hand. "No one said it was inappropriate."
The new version of gunpowder, triple-bow siege crossbows, and other weapons had made the Great Zhou invincible on the battlefield against the Northern Frontier, and the Seventh Prince undoubtedly deserved the foremost credit.
Annexing the Northern Frontier and Nanning to achieve great unification was the ultimate ideal of all emperors since the founding of the Great Zhou dynasty.
Now, the Great Zhou had almost completed half of it.
Furthermore, the Seventh Prince had captured the King of the Northern Frontier, Jirgal, and the Left Wise King, bringing them back to the Great Zhou to offer as sacrifices to their ancestors.
With such military merits, who could say a word of objection?
In the distance, a group of people approached the palace gates. The Seventh Prince sat in a wheelchair, being pushed along, with a three-finger-wide black silk ribbon tied behind his head.
Closer and closer.
When his appearance could finally be seen clearly, Emperor Chongzhao took a half-step forward to greet him.
As soon as he moved, the people behind him naturally followed suit, all stepping forward.
The corner of Qu Dubian's mouth twitched.
A group of colorful, chibi-style cartoon characters with dot-eyes surrounded him.
"Greetings to His Highness the Seventh Prince! Congratulations to Your Highness on your triumphant return!"
Qu Dubian suddenly coughed several times, making a fist to press against his lips to suppress the corners of his mouth.
It was too unserious; he was genuinely afraid he would burst out laughing on the spot.
The young man's lip color was pale. The vibrant and lively energy that once overflowed from him had completely vanished, leaving only quietness, frailty, and pallor.
He used to fall ill often, but he had been very optimistic, easily infecting those around him with his cheerfulness.
Now, he even restrained his coughs.
Emperor Chongzhao felt a pang in his heart. "Imperial Father will definitely gather all the famous doctors in the world to cure you!"
Qu Dubian cupped his hands. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Seeing that Emperor Chongzhao's expression was slightly off, Eunuch Yu immediately said, "Your Majesty, there is still an edict that hasn't been announced."
Emperor Chongzhao: "I will tell Little Seven the edict myself. You stay behind and read it to them. The wind outside is cold; he cannot stay long."
With that, he waved his hand, and Qu Dubian was pushed away from the palace gates and into the palace.
Eunuch Yu, who had stayed behind, sighed and unrolled the imperial decree in his hands.
The civil and military officials, along with several imperial heirs, knelt on the ground to listen respectfully.
"By the Grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The Seventh Imperial Prince, Qu Dubian, is endowed with both literary and moral virtues, and has achieved illustrious military merits. Although he is Our youngest son, he is no inferior to his elder brothers. He is hereby specially titled a Prince of the First Rank, with the title Yong, hence His Highness the Prince of Yong, with a fiefdom of ten thousand households. He is granted the privilege of riding a carriage within the imperial palace and is exempt from the ritual of kneeling and bowing...
"To Xia Fuyang, son of the Marquis of Changping, for his meritorious service in the northern expedition, he is appointed General Who Pacifies the North. The title of Marquis of Changping shall be hereditary without demotion. He is awarded...
"The Sword-Bearing Marquis Xu Jin, having fought valiantly on the battlefield, is titled Duke of Zhenguo. He shall recuperate from his injuries in the northern borders and return to the capital to enjoy a prosperous old age.
"Respect this!"
After the reading was finished, the officials bowed again, each harboring their own thoughts.
Although everyone had guessed that the Seventh Prince would become the first among the princes to be granted a princely title upon his return, they were still stirred with emotion when it actually happened.
A single-character prince, a legitimate Prince of the First Rank, the very first among the imperial princes.
Normally, a Prince of the First Rank would receive a fiefdom of six to eight thousand households. A prince with ten thousand households had been extremely rare since the founding of the dynasty.
Although His Majesty did not specify the location of the Seventh Prince's fiefdom in the imperial decree, judging by this posture, the location would definitely not be poor.
Upon hearing the decree, Zhiyi turned around and ran. Eunuch Yu hurriedly stopped her. "Your Royal Highness the Eldest Princess! Please wait."
"Eunuch, is there anything else to instruct?" Zhiyi suppressed her anxiety.
Eunuch Yu said, "His Majesty still has words to speak with His Highness the Prince of Yong. Once they are done, His Highness will naturally go to Shunning Palace. You might as well return to your palace and wait."
Seeing Zhiyi purse her lips, Eunuch Yu added, "Rest assured, it shouldn't take too long."
After welcoming the Seventh Prince, the civil and military officials dispersed to their respective destinations. Since it was close to the government offices, it was convenient for them to go there.
The Second Prince watched and said, "Seventh Brother probably won't leave the palace tonight. Let's go visit him another day."
The Sixth Prince's nose was red. "I originally wanted to prepare a welcoming banquet for Little Seven. Now look at him, he probably won't even be able to find where the plates are. Tell me, why did he push himself so hard? Wasn't Xia Fuyang there? Letting him go into battle would have been fine. Even if he went blind, Imperial Father could have just given him more rewards..."
The Fifth Prince said, "Sixth Brother, mind your words."
The Sixth Prince realized his slip and immediately shut his mouth.
The Third Prince said, "He is the first among us to be granted the title of a Prince of the First Rank, and with a fiefdom of ten thousand households, no less. He was sickly when he was a child, but he survived it all. Maybe his eyes can be cured. Once cured, he will be as carefree as ever."
The Fourth Prince looked at him. "Then is Third Brother willing to trade places with Little Seven?"
The Third Prince rubbed his nose. "...I was just saying."
Inside Zhichen Hall.
A table full of dishes, all of which were Qu Dubian's favorites.
Emperor Chongzhao did not let Eunuch Yu serve the dishes; instead, he personally placed food into Qu Dubian's bowl from time to time.
"Taste it and see if it is still the flavor you loved when you were a child."
Qu Dubian didn't really want to eat. He wanted to return to Shunning Palace and eat the dishes made by Consort Guo.
Ever since his elder sister was sent away for a political marriage, he no longer wanted to play the game of deep father-son affection with this old man, especially after learning the truth about how his uncle's legs were crippled back then.
However, if their thin familial bond could be exchanged for more benefits, he didn't mind putting on an act.
Qu Dubian reached out and felt around the table a couple of times. "I'm thirsty."
Eunuch Yu hurriedly poured a cup of tea and handed it to him. "Your Highness."
Qu Dubian drank half the cup. When he placed it back on the table, the cup accidentally bumped against the edge of a dish.
His hand slipped, and the remaining half cup of tea instantly tipped over. He instinctively reached out to grab it, but ended up knocking the dish completely over, spilling the tea all over his hand.
The tea flowed down his knuckles to his wrist bones, dripping onto the soft blanket covering his legs.
The young man froze for a moment, then pursed his lips, his fingers curling slightly.
"I apologize, I didn't mean to..."
"It's alright, Your Highness," Eunuch Yu quickly waved his hand, and palace servants immediately came forward to replace Qu Dubian's dishes with a new set.
Qu Dubian said, "Give me a handkerchief."
Eunuch Yu said, "Right away. This servant will help you wipe it."
"Let Us do it."
Emperor Chongzhao took his hand and wiped away the spilled tea.
It had been a long time since the father and son had such close contact. Touching his ice-cold hand, Emperor Chongzhao saw tiny scars on his palm.
They were all left from the battlefield.
Emperor Chongzhao said, "When you were a child, even a small cut on your hand would have you holding it up in front of Us for ages, refusing to let it go until you had conned some good things out of Us. Now, you say nothing at all."
Qu Dubian replied, "What good things does Your Majesty have left for me to con?"
"Didn't you usually trick Us out of those incen..." Emperor Chongzhao's voice abruptly stopped. A few seconds later, he continued, "Those treasures in Our private vault."
Qu Dubian fell silent.
Emperor Chongzhao asked, "You refuse to call Us... Imperial Father. Are you still blaming Us in your heart for what happened to Zhiyi back then?"
Answering yes or no was not the correct answer.
Qu Dubian simply asked in return, "When I was a child, I cried and held up my cut hand in front of Your Majesty because crying in pain worked. Now that I am grown up, would crying in pain in front of you still work?"
Emperor Chongzhao said, "As long as We are here, it will always work."
Qu Dubian did not reply.
Emperor Chongzhao could not articulate the taste in his heart; he only felt that the relationship between them as father and son could never return to how it was three years ago.
He sat back down. "Let's eat."
"I don't want to eat here," Qu Dubian said. "Imperial Father, I want to return to Shunning Palace and see Consort Xuan."
Emperor Chongzhao was taken aback, but quickly said, "Of course, you should."
"Yu Decai, go and escort Little Seven. Have a young eunuch go along to hold an umbrella for him."
"Yes," Eunuch Yu also smiled. "You can rest assured when this servant handles matters. I will definitely deliver His Highness the Prince of Yong safely."
Qu Dubian left Zhichen Hall.
Emperor Chongzhao stood at the doorway and watched for a while.
Outside, snow and mist danced in the air. The sky was slightly overcast, with only sparse traces of snow, leaving mostly wet ground.
Wherever the wheelchair passed, all the thresholds had been removed, just like when his little dog cart used to swagger through the palace back then.
On the way, Eunuch Yu said, "Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess Zhiyi is also at Shunning Palace. Just now, when you were outside the palace, she was there too, but she didn't get the chance to step forward and speak."
Qu Dubian had 'seen' it; his elder sister was standing together with his older brothers.
Since his elder sister had come out to wait for him, Consort Xuan and the others must be waiting even more anxiously.
As they were nearing the entrance of Shunning Palace, Qu Dubian raised his hand. Eunuch Yu stopped. "Your Highness?"
Supporting himself on the armrests, Qu Dubian stood up. "I will walk the rest of the way myself."
Eunuch Yu was a bit anxious. "Aren't you unable to stand for long? Let this servant push you over there."
Qu Dubian shook his head.
This was the road home.
Eunuch Yu had no choice but to stand there and wait, staring intently at His Highness the Prince of Yong. If he so much as stumbled, the eunuch would grab the wheelchair and slide forward to catch him.
Qu Dubian slowly walked to the doorway.
It wasn't intentionally slow. He was clearly eager to return, yet somehow he walked so slowly.
Light snow was falling from the sky, and there were no palace maids standing guard outside.
Clad in a fox fur cloak, he stood before the vermilion palace gates. The small strands of hair on his forehead fell over the black silk covering his eyes, and even his hair seemed to exude hesitation.
He remained motionless for a long time.
It was truly strange. What was he hesitating for?
Having lost his home at a young age in his previous life, Qu Dubian had never experienced this kind of feeling before.
Having had his elder sister send a letter ahead to Consort Xuan, the reunion he had envisioned was one where he would return cheerfully, give Consort Xuan a brief explanation, and then blissfully feast on delicious food with his sister.
How should he smile when they met later? What expression should he wear? The issue with his meridians did not matter, but how was he going to gloss over the problem with his eyes?
After a few seconds, he finally raised his hand. Just as he was about to knock, he heard a flurry of frantic dog barking from within: "Woof, woof, woof!"
"Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!"
Immediately after, someone came running and stopped abruptly right behind the door.
Qu Dubian's hand froze mid-knock.
Before he could even adjust his expression, the doors were suddenly pulled open.
It was Consort Xuan.
She was not wearing her usual palace casual wear. It seemed she had been just about to head out and had come running the moment she heard the commotion.
Qu Dubian lowered his hand, his fingertips rubbing together unconsciously, before a smile curled the corners of his lips.
"I am back."
Seeing him like this, tears welled up and spilled from Consort Xuan's eyes.
Having raised him since he was little, how could she not be intimately familiar with his attempts at feigning calmness?
She stepped forward and pulled Qu Dubian into a tight embrace. "It is good that you are back. It is so good that you are back..."
Nearly a year of worry and longing had reached its peak the moment Zhiyi returned home and reunited with Noble Lady Guo.
Qu Dubian had never seen Consort Xuan like this before.
As an adoptive mother and son, no matter how close they were, there had always seemed to be a faint, lingering sense of politeness and distance between them. But just now, that slight distance was gently smoothed away by a tender hand.
Qu Dubian said, "Mother, please do not cry."
Consort Xuan paused, then choked out a sob, "You little brat."
"Did Consort Guo make my favorite dishes?"
Inside Shunning Palace, Zhiyi and Noble Lady Guo had also come out. Yidianbai and Jinlai circled excitedly around Qu Dubian's feet, stamping paw prints all over his expensive cloak.
With tears in her eyes, Zhiyi replied, "Of course she did."
"She even made the fried golden horns we both missed so much on the grasslands."
They took Qu Dubian by the hand and led him back into their home.
In the distance.
Eunuch Yu pushed a wheelchair over. He instructed the servants of Shunning Palace to carry it inside, informing them that an imperial physician would soon arrive to examine His Highness the Prince of Yong.
The servants of Shunning Palace carefully noted his instructions.
Standing at the palace gates, Eunuch Yu took in this heartwarming scene. He thought back to the interaction between His Highness the Prince of Yong and His Majesty in Zichen Hall just moments ago.
He let out a soft sigh in his heart.
In the end, there was still a difference.
