Among the group of children, Yuancheng was one of the older ones—truly like an older brother.
Yet, there were quite a few boys his age, and even some slightly older than him, but none of them held Yuancheng’s status.
Jiang Yunshu watched for a while. The boys around Yuancheng’s age, and even those a bit older, all listened to him without question.
It was clear that Yuancheng was the backbone of this group of children.
Children admire strength above all else. To be the leader among them meant Yuancheng possessed extraordinary qualities.
Seeing the children so tired, Jiang Yunshu had the palace attendants lead them back to rest.
Concubine Qiao spent the most time with these children, so Jiang Yunshu asked for her opinion, “Which one do you like the most, Concubine Qiao?”
Unaware of Jiang Yunshu’s true intent behind the question, Concubine Qiao still hadn’t wrapped her head around it. She thought Xie Lin and Jiang Yunshu were planning to adopt a son for her.
Concubine Qiao named a few children who left the deepest impression: “Yong Yi is innocent and adorable, Song Zhang is a little bundle of joy… but when it comes to intelligence and maturity, Yuancheng is number one.”
Concubine Qiao genuinely loved children; each child had their own special qualities in her eyes.
Hearing her words, Jiang Yunshu had a clearer idea and nodded.
Concubine Qiao asked anxiously, “You and the Chief Steward came in such a hurry—is the palace really in turmoil?”
Jiang Yunshu reassured her, “The Chief Steward knows what he’s doing.”
“This visit is just to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with you, and to take a good look at these children.”
Upon hearing this, Concubine Qiao immediately felt much more at ease. For so many years, the Ninth Prince had ruled the capital with an iron fist; Concubine Qiao did not believe anyone could rival him. Her real worry was for Jiang Yunshu.
“As long as the Ninth Prince is protecting you, everything will be fine.”
Thinking that the Ninth Prince was willing to accompany Jiang Yunshu back to the Yun Residence for Mid-Autumn Festival, Concubine Qiao felt even more reassured. It was clear the Ninth Prince held Jiang Yunshu dear.
When Jiang Yunshu returned to the main hall, Xie Lin had already finished bathing. His damp hair hung loose as he leaned against the headboard, waiting for her.
Jiang Yunshu’s steps faltered when she saw him. Dressed in white, with his hair down, Xie Lin radiated an ethereal aura that made one dare only to admire from afar, never to approach.
Suddenly, Jiang Yunshu noticed the faint scent of alcohol on herself and hurriedly excused herself, “I... I’ll go bathe first...”
The main hall of the Yun Residence was an expansion and renovation of Jiang Yunshu’s former Yunshu Courtyard, with the biggest change being a meticulously crafted bathhouse larger and more comfortable than any in the palace.
She hurried into the bathhouse, puzzled by her own feelings. It was as if approaching Xie Lin while carrying the scent of alcohol was a kind of disrespect.
After bathing, Jiang Yunshu returned to the chamber, but her steps remained hesitant as she approached Xie Lin.
Xie Lin looked at her and asked, “What’s taking you so long, my lady?”
Flustered, Jiang Yunshu scrambled for an excuse, “I... I ate too much and just wanted to stand for a while...”
Looking into Xie Lin’s eyes, she realized her feelings for him had truly changed.
Before, Jiang Yunshu only looked up to Xie Lin with admiration. But after last night, whenever she saw him, a subtle tenderness stirred in her heart.
Inside Jiang Yunshu, two little voices were locked in a silent struggle.
A petty voice snarled harshly at her, "Don’t pity men!"
Another, hesitating, said, "But he really is so pitiful..."
Jiang Yunshu stared blankly at Xie Lin, unsure of what to do.
Xie Lin reached out and grasped Jiang Yunshu’s slender wrist, pulling her into the canopy.
"Did the lady overeat? Let me help you digest," he said softly.
The bed curtains descended slowly, enclosing them in a fragrant embrace of osmanthus sweetness.
"No... Xie Lin... no..."
Through the hazy veil of the soft canopy, Jiang Yunshu caught sight of the moon hanging high in the night sky.
The flawless, full moon bathed the courtyard in its cool, pure light.
Jiang Yunshu looked around the courtyard, still bearing traces of familiarity. The expanded main hall now encompassed her former Yunshu Courtyard, the place where she had grown up...
Tonight’s experience felt all the more different because of this.
Half an hour later, Jiang Yunshu lay weak and limp as Xie Lin carried her to the bath, her heart bitterly thinking.
That fierce little voice inside her had been right—don’t pity men!
Throughout the entire bathing process, it was Xie Lin attending to her every need. Jiang Yunshu had grown accustomed to being waited on and treated as if it were only natural.
When she lay back down on the bed, too exhausted to keep her eyes open, Xie Lin still wanted to chat.
"Among all the children today, which one does the lady like best?" Xie Lin asked.
This was an important question. Jiang Yunshu yawned, then recounted all her observations to Xie Lin in detail.
Finally, she concluded, "I like Yuancheng the most."
Smart, calm, and responsible—he was the backbone among the group of children.
Jiang Yunshu felt the final quality was the most important. If she guessed right, whether Yuancheng could command respect and inspire loyalty in the future was what truly mattered.
She analyzed her thoughts thoroughly, watching Xie Lin’s expression carefully to see if she was correct.
But Xie Lin’s face remained as inscrutable and deep as ever.
Giving up on reading his expression, Jiang Yunshu asked directly, "Which child does the chief steward like best?"
Xie Lin replied, "Funny enough, I also like Yuancheng the most."
Jiang Yunshu asked, "Why?"
Unlike Jiang Yunshu’s long-winded explanation, Xie Lin’s answer was brief.
"Yuancheng’s eyes resemble the lady’s."
-
Life after moving into the Yun Residence was unprecedentedly leisurely and comfortable for Jiang Yunshu.
She spent the longest time each day with Xie Lin. Yet, for the most part, when they were together, they didn’t do much—each busy with their own affairs.
Xie Lin had official memorials to read, reports from spies to hear.
Jiang Yunshu read books by herself, mostly travelogues and popular stories.
Unfortunately, very few of the stories satisfied her—ancient minds rarely aligned with her own. Jiang Yunshu propped her chin thoughtfully, considering commissioning someone to write a batch of “custom stories” for her.
Stories tailored exactly to her tastes!
While Xie Lin practiced martial arts, Jiang Yunshu practiced dance. Back at the Yun Residence, she was finally able to receive guidance from Concubine Qiao again!
And then she got scolded by Concubine Qiao...
One day without practice, she knew it herself; two days without practice, her teacher noticed.
Lately, there had been too many things happening, and Jiang Yunshu had become quite lax in her dance practice. Concubine Qiao could practically find a hundred faults with her.
Jiang Yunshu accepted the criticism wholeheartedly. She hadn’t expected Concubine Qiao, who managed the vast Yun Residence, to keep up with her martial training without missing a beat. Not only did she dance as beautifully as before, but after not seeing Concubine Qiao dance for a while, Jiang Yunshu could clearly sense her improvement.
“Concubine Qiao’s talent is truly frightening…” Jiang Yunshu couldn’t help but sigh to Xie Lin.
Though Concubine Qiao was also managing the household well, Jiang Yunshu felt she shouldn’t be spending so much energy on these matters.
“If only a few of her dances could be preserved and passed down through the ages…” That would be the best outcome!
Xie Lin asked, “Would Concubine Qiao be willing to teach and choreograph dances at the Jiao Fang Si?”
Jiang Yunshu was taken aback—she hadn’t thought of that. She immediately replied, “Concubine Qiao would definitely be willing!”
“But I should ask her first…”
Xie Lin nodded, “If Concubine Qiao agrees, once the turmoil at court settles, she can go to the Jiao Fang Si.”
When Concubine Qiao heard the news, she was truly delighted.
Her eyes were red-rimmed as she looked at Jiang Yunshu. Once upon a time, dancing was just a way to please men; she thought she would live her whole life like that…
But during the days she taught Jiang Yunshu to dance, Concubine Qiao had genuinely fallen in love with dancing.
She never imagined that one day, she could actually go to the Jiao Fang Si to teach and choreograph dances…
If she could create dances that would be passed down through generations, her name would live on alongside her art…
Concubine Qiao nodded firmly, without hesitation: “Yes, yes!”
“When you both return to the palace, I will go to the Jiao Fang Si.”
Concubine Qiao asked, “Has the Ninth Young Master mentioned when you’ll return to the palace?”
Jiang Yunshu shook her head, “Not yet.”
She truly wished she could stay at the Yun Residence forever, spending each day with Xie Lin, Concubine Qiao, the little cat, the little horse, and the children.
Every day at the Yun Residence was a happy one for Jiang Yunshu. The only not-so-good news was that Duan Jinxing had finally left the Imperial Stables and Horse Department—he had been promoted!
Duan Jinxing was appointed commander of the Central City Military Division, a position of the sixth rank!
He had jumped from the ninth rank straight to the sixth—whose powerful patron had he grabbed onto?
Moreover, the Central City Military Division was a post with real authority, overseeing a considerable number of troops.
It seemed this fish bait had caught a big fish this time.
A few days after hearing about Duan Jinxing’s promotion, Xie Lin was about to return to the palace.
Xie Lin looked at Jiang Yunshu with a half-smile: “Your Highness, do you wish to return to the palace with me, or stay at the Yun Residence and wait until everything settles down before going back?”
Jiang Yunshu sighed helplessly, “The Chancellor says I can choose, but his eyes clearly show he’s not really letting me choose.”
This time, Xie Lin genuinely laughed, “That obvious?”
Jiang Yunshu took Xie Lin’s hand: “Of course, I’ll return to the palace with the Chancellor.”
This trip back to the palace, they didn’t bring Concubine Qiao along, but Xie Lin did bring Yuancheng.
Jiang Yunshu’s face showed surprise: “Why is Yuancheng going back?”
She had long suspected Yuancheng would enter the palace, but… it shouldn’t be now!
The Empress Dowager Wu and the young emperor were still inside the palace—so why had Yuancheng returned to the palace?
Xie Lin glanced at Jiang Yunshu. "Who told Your Highness that the young emperor was still in the palace?"
Jiang Yunshu was even more shocked. When had Xie Lin arranged such a major matter? His actions were unbelievably swift!
-
Within the Fengyi Palace, everything changed overnight.
Empress Dowager Wu had no idea why this was happening. It felt like she was trapped in an unbearably terrifying nightmare. She pinched the palm of her hand hard and squeezed her thigh, yet no matter what, she could not wake up.
The night before, before going to bed, Empress Dowager Wu had even held Tai An close, playing with him for a long time.
Tai An was already beginning to recognize people. Though several wet nurses took care of him most of the time, the little one’s favorite was still his own mother…
Outside, the cold wind howled, sounding like ghosts wailing and wolves crying. Inside Fengyi Palace, it was as warm as spring. Worried that Tai An might catch a chill, Empress Dowager Wu had already lit the heated bricks.
Lying in the warm bedchamber, thinking of Tai An’s smiling face, the howling wind outside no longer seemed bothersome. That night, she slept soundly.
The next morning, the first thing Empress Dowager Wu did upon opening her eyes was to call for the wet nurse to bring Tai An over.
She did this every day.
But today, the wet nurse arrived even faster than usual. Empress Dowager Wu heard the rustle of the door curtain and looked over with a beaming smile.
Then she froze.
The wet nurse was holding the hand of a strange boy who looked about three years old.
Empress Dowager Wu was utterly baffled. "Who is this?"
The little boy smiled at her. "Mother, I am Tai An."
Terror filled Empress Dowager Wu’s face as she screamed, "You’re not Tai An! Where is my Tai An?"
Like a madwoman, Empress Dowager Wu searched every corner of Fengyi Palace for Tai An.
"Where have you hidden Tai An?"
The wet nurse beside the boy trembled, not daring to utter a single word.
Besides the wet nurse, eight tall and burly eunuchs surrounded the little boy. Each looked highly skilled in martial arts.
They formed a protective ring around the boy. The child was young, with short legs; he couldn’t walk very fast but kept slowly following Empress Dowager Wu.
Every time she stopped to ask someone, the boy would waddle up to her.
"Mother, what are you looking for?"
"I am Tai An."
"Mother, don’t you recognize Tai An anymore?"
Empress Dowager Wu’s face twisted with horror as she screamed repeatedly. Every time the boy uttered the name "Tai An," she wanted to cover his mouth—no, she wanted to strangle this imposter.
But with eight highly skilled eunuchs surrounding him, she couldn’t get close.
"No, no, no! You’re not Tai An!"
"Give me back my Tai An!"
Tai An was the child she had carried for ten months and given birth to, the one she had raised by her side for nearly a year. How could she not recognize her own child?
Even if someone had swapped her Tai An with a child who looked exactly the same, she could still tell!
Especially now… especially now that the child who had replaced her Tai An was three years old.
Her Tai An couldn’t even walk yet, but this child could run!
Swapping her less-than-one-year-old Tai An for a three-year-old child—she would recognize it even if she were blind!
“Tai An… Tai An…” The Empress Dowager searched all over the Fengyi Palace but saw no sign of Tai An. Her legs suddenly gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.
The Empress Dowager felt a surge of guilt.
The Ninth Prince… it had to be the Ninth Prince…
This was his revenge against her.
He knew. He knew everything. He knew what she had done, and he knew who she had conspired with…
Back then, the Ninth Prince was the stolen child.
They had taken him away from his mother the moment he was born. Now, he was doing the same—stealing her child!
The Empress Dowager knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly before the eight eunuchs, “Please, tell the Ninth Prince that I want to see him.”
When Xie Lin received the news, he replied leisurely, “No rush. Let her stew for a couple of days first.”
Jiang Yunshu sat beside Xie Lin, listening as someone reported everything that had happened in Fengyi Palace, recounting all the Empress Dowager’s frantic actions in detail.
Jiang Yunshu: ………
She was utterly stunned by Xie Lin’s straightforward and ruthless handling of the situation!
