Ties of Love, Ruan Wan

The emperor, recovering from his daze, smiled and asked, "Lord Zhang, do you still have any doubts?"

Zhang Qian bowed to Ruan Wan and said, "Holy Maiden, please forgive my rudeness."

Ruan Wan didn't even glance at him, and turned to leave. Xia Changfeng came over and took Ruan Wan's hand, saying, "Since you're already here, Holy Maiden, why don't you stay and celebrate the New Year with us?"

Seeing Xia Changfeng winking and making faces, Ruan Wan went along with him and stayed.

Linglong watched the two figures walk away hand in hand, her body trembling uncontrollably. "Could it really be the Holy Maiden, and not Ruan Wan?"

Having witnessed the saintess's miracles, Linglong now hoped that she really was Ruan Wan.

Linglong had heard many rumors about the Miao holy maiden, but she used to think they were just rumors and that she had no supernatural powers.

Now that not only the emperor has seen it, but all the officials have seen it, the status of this holy woman has naturally risen.

His Highness has already taken a liking to her, and she looks so much like Ruan Wan, so where in this palace is there any place for her?

How could the Miao people bear to send their holy maiden out for a marriage alliance?

When everyone returned to the palace, Xia Changfeng immediately pulled Ruan Wan to sit next to him.

All eyes were on Xia Changfeng and Ruan Wan, as everyone was still reeling from the miracle they had just witnessed.

The emperor was exceptionally pleased and even raised his wine cup to toast Ruan Wan, saying, "I offer a cup of wine to the Holy Maiden."

Ruan Wan remained seated, unmoved. The emperor's smile froze on his face, and the ministers dared not even breathe.

Everyone thought to themselves, although this holy maiden has supernatural powers, she is still His Majesty's daughter-in-law after all. How could she be so arrogant and rude, ignoring His Majesty's personal toast?

Although everyone was dissatisfied, no one dared to speak. If the rumors about the Holy Maiden were true, they would not dare to provoke her.

Even Zhang Qian from the Ministry of Rites, seeing this scene so contrary to etiquette, dared not utter a word.

Xia Changfeng hurriedly picked up his wine cup and stood up. "Father, the Holy Maiden cannot drink alcohol, so let me drink this cup in her stead."

Xia Changfeng downed his drink in one gulp. Everyone looked at the emperor, who also raised his hand and drank his wine. Then he smiled and said, "It's alright, Changfeng, it's the same. You two are one."

Upon hearing this, several princesses turned to look at Linglong. The word "husband and wife" was traditionally reserved for the principal wife, and now His Majesty had uttered it in public, showing no regard for Linglong's feelings.

Jealousy ignited in Linglong's eyes, but she gritted her teeth and maintained her composure.

Fortunately, Rong Yufen didn't come today; otherwise, if she had seen this scene, how could she have any face left in the Prince's mansion?

Ruan Wan looked around, her gaze searching among the ministers' seats. Xia Changfeng leaned closer and whispered, "Lord Ruan already went back."

Xia Ziru brought over a glass of wine, and Xia Changfeng immediately sat down. Xia Ziru smiled and said, "Seventh brother, seventh brother's wife, I'd like to offer you a toast to congratulate you on your marriage."

Xia Changfeng poured himself a glass of wine. "Third Brother, I'll be the only one left to drink this with you."

"It's alright, even Father doesn't need to accompany me, let alone me."

Xia Ziru tilted his head back and finished his drink, but his gaze remained fixed on Ruan Wan. He simply continued to offer a toast, wanting to take a closer look at the difference between this Holy Maiden and Ruan Wan.

Ruan Wan did not look up or say a word from beginning to end.

This mysterious Miao holy maiden is truly extraordinary. The rumor that she is Ruan Wan will be disproven on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The miracles performed by the Holy Maiden will also spread throughout the Great Xia Dynasty, which is the effect Ruan Wan wants to achieve.

On New Year's Eve, Xia Changfeng stayed at Yaotai Courtyard as usual. Linglong was furious in the courtyard and could not calm down no matter what she did.

For Xia Changfeng, she betrayed her country. The royal family of Chu was slaughtered by Chu Heng, and she even gave birth to a daughter for Xia Changfeng.

On New Year's Eve, she was sitting at the same table as a concubine and didn't even stay in her own room that night. How would the servants in the mansion view her?

But now, she has no way out; the entire Chu Kingdom is no longer there to rely on.

Why does everyone look down on her, why does everyone pressure her? Chu Zixun is like that, and Xia Changfeng is even more so.

Linglong's ruthlessness was unmistakable; a chilling glint appeared in her eyes. "I want her dead, she must die! So what if she's a saintess? She's not a real goddess!"

This was the first time Yu Jie had seen Linglong with such an expression, and she trembled slightly. "Your Highness, it is said that the Holy Maiden is immune to all poisons and can control hundreds of Gu poisons. We may not be able to kill her."

Linglong sneered, "She could be a saint or a demoness."

Xia Changfeng lay on the couch, his mind still replaying the scene in the Imperial Garden. He simply couldn't understand how they had managed it.

Unable to fall asleep, Xia Changfeng turned to look at the bed. "Xiaozhu, how exactly was the miracle in the Imperial Garden accomplished? Was it a trick or real magic?"

There was no movement on the bed, so Xia Changfeng lay down again.

"It's neither a trick nor a spell."

Xia Changfeng sat up again. "What is that? How could it possibly bloom in the dead of winter?"

"It's the power of nature that's causing these flowers to bloom earlier than usual. Next year, these flowers won't sprout or bloom, but they won't die either."

Xia Changfeng was somewhat puzzled, but he didn't press the matter. Instead, he changed the subject, "Xiaozhu, tomorrow is New Year's Day. Would you like to come to the palace with me to see the Empress Dowager?"

"Didn't we already see each other in the hall today?"

Xia Changfeng had guessed that Ruan Wan would say that, but he still asked her anyway.

"You can also go to the palace to see Consort Shu. She thought you were dead and set up a memorial tablet for you in the palace, wearing mourning clothes and weeping bitterly."

Ruan Wan was silent for a moment, then said, "I am now a saintess, so it's best to avoid seeing people associated with me."

Indeed, she is now a saintess and has no connection with Consort Ruan Shu. Going to see her rashly would only arouse suspicion.

After a while, a voice came from the bedside: "Who is in charge of the Lou family now? Who manages the shops and estates under my and Qian Yuan's names?"

"I'm really not sure about that. I'll have Amu look into it tomorrow. However, the Lou family is currently managed by Steward Li. His Majesty's intention is for everyone in the Lou family to close the gates and set up a statue of my uncle inside the mansion, where they will worship for the rest of their lives."

Ruan Wan sneered, "You're quite adept at these superficial gestures. It wasn't enough that my father-in-law and elder brother died fighting for the Great Xia; you had to destroy our family and clan."

Although he knew that the emperor had orchestrated the deaths of his uncle and cousin, Xia Changfeng still felt uneasy hearing Ruan Wan speak of his father in such a way. "My cousin wanted to run off to the Eastern Yi border on his own. If he had stayed in the capital, nothing would have happened."

Ruan Wan suddenly sat up. Even in the darkness, Xia Changfeng could see the anger in her eyes. "Even on the battlefield, Qian Yuan wasn't necessarily destined to die. If it weren't for your high and mighty father, Qian Yuan wouldn't have died."

Xia Changfeng also sat up. "What exactly happened at the border?"

Ruan Wan lay down again, her back to Xia Changfeng. "If you intend to inherit the throne, you'd better not still consider the current emperor your father."

"They are both father and son, and ruler and subject; how can there be ordinary fathers and sons in the imperial family?"

"Your father chose a monarch who could unify this continent, not the emperor of Great Xia. Think back to what the emperor did—what were you and Xia Ziru supposed to give up?"

The Empress had said the same thing, and Xia Changfeng knew that his father wanted him to abandon family and love and be indecisive.

The emperor has set a good example. For the sake of the Chu Kingdom, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his most beloved princess, two cities, and 30,000 soldiers.

In order to concentrate imperial power, Xia Ziru was made to personally eliminate the Zhang family, and also ruin his uncle's and cousin's families.

But Xia Changfeng didn't want to become like that, and he was even more afraid of becoming like that. "Xiaozhu, if I really become what Father Emperor hopes for, I might sacrifice you without hesitation."

Ruan Wan, however, didn't care at all: "I'm willing to sacrifice myself for the unification of this continent."

Xia Changfeng couldn't understand why Ruan Wan was so fixated on this matter after escaping death. "Is unifying this continent really that important?"

"The emperor and I have different starting points. If you aspire to become a monarch, you should understand your father's ambitions and desires. If you had ever truly been on a battlefield, perhaps you could understand my wishes."

Xia Changfeng could understand the emperor's desire to expand his territory and unify the continent. What he didn't understand was that Ruan Wan, as an ordinary person, seemed even more eager for this matter than her father.

Ruan Wan continued, "Now that a great war has passed, Great Xia needs a chance to catch its breath. One day, we will annex the Eastern Yi. At that time, you and Xia Ziru will both witness the real battlefield, and then we will discuss this matter again."

The peace we enjoy today is only temporary. Last year's floods and this year's great war have left the Xia Dynasty very weak. Although it has managed to catch its breath by gradually encroaching on the Chu Kingdom, it is now unable to withstand another war, and the same is true for the Dongyi.

The emperor's biggest worry now is the unscathed southern border. The southern border is too mysterious; no one knows how many troops it has or how large its territory is.

If the Southern Frontier were to seize the opportunity to annex the Eastern Barbarians, or launch a surprise attack while the Great Xia is weakened, the Great Xia might not be able to withstand it.

At this time, the Southern Frontier actually sent a holy maiden to marry a foreign ruler. Although the emperor was on guard, he was unsure whether the Southern Frontier's purpose this time was the same as his own when he sent a princess to marry Chang Le.

But at least we know that Southern Xinjiang doesn't dare to take any rash actions right now, as long as it has enough time to catch its breath.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Rong Yufen waited early in Linglong Courtyard. She hadn't been allowed to come over on New Year's Eve, and she didn't dare to ask Xia Changfeng to take her to the palace, so she could only humbly serve Linglong.

Rong Yufen knew that the woman from Yaotai Courtyard had been summoned to the palace last night. She thought the emperor was going to punish her for impersonation, but she returned safely without any incident.

Rong Yufen saw that Linglong's face was very ugly. Something must have happened last night. Rong Yufen stood aside and did not dare to ask. She was still hoping that Linglong would take her into the palace.

After sitting for a while, a maid from the second gate came to invite Linglong, "Your Highness, the carriage is ready. Please, Your Highness, come to see your Highness."

Linglong glanced at Anle in the wet nurse's arms, Yujie took a cloak and tied it on, and walked towards the gate, with Rong Yufen following behind.

At the main gate, three carriages were waiting. The first one was naturally for Xia Changfeng. Linglong, knowing her place, walked towards the second carriage. Amu hurriedly came over and said, "Your Highness, please get into the first carriage."

Linglong wanted to avoid the Holy Maiden, not wanting to see the two of them being so affectionate. Linglong took a deep breath and walked towards the first carriage.

Lifting the carriage curtain, they found only Xia Changfeng inside; the Miao holy maiden was nowhere to be seen.

Xia Changfeng extended his hand to Linglong. Linglong felt a little uneasy, but she still extended her hand. After sitting down, Linglong cautiously asked, "Won't the Holy Maiden come to the palace to pay her respects today?"

Xia Changfeng did not answer Linglong's question. Instead, he asked, "Is Mingyue feeling much better? Does she still have a fever? If she's not feeling well, don't bring her into the palace."

Linglong smiled and said, "Mingyue is much better now. Her mother has not seen Mingyue for a long time and misses her dearly."

Xia Changfeng nodded, and the two fell silent. Seeing that Xia Changfeng's attitude had softened, Linglong didn't ask any more questions, fearing that saying more would lead to making a mistake.

The three of them, along with the young princess, first went to pay New Year's respects to the emperor before heading to the empress's Fengzao Palace.

The Empress, with a loving expression, took the little princess into her arms and held her close, saying, "My little granddaughter, she's so beautiful and adorable."

Although the Empress initially wanted to kill the child, since she had already been born and was a girl, she loved her dearly; otherwise, she would not have personally named her Mingyue.

The Empress glanced indifferently at Xia Changfeng's back, her eyes fixed on the young princess, unable to look away for a moment. "The Holy Maiden isn't here again today. What a big shot she is."

Xia Changfeng smiled without saying a word, and Linglong and Rong Yufen also dared not speak. Rong Yufen originally wanted to take this opportunity to complain to the Empress that the Holy Maiden had ordered the servants to beat her. Now even Linglong dared not speak ill of her, so Rong Yufen dared not speak at all.

Having suffered so many losses, Rong Yufen finally became a little smarter.

Suddenly, Anle, who had been sleeping peacefully, began to cry. The Empress glanced at her and then handed the child back to Linglong, saying, "Xiaomingyue has soiled herself. Quickly take her to the back to change her clothes."

Granny Qiu led Linglong's wet nurse inside. The Empress frowned as she looked at Rong Yufen, who was standing still. "The Princess Consort is helping the young princess change her clothes, and you're just standing here doing nothing!"

Rong Yufen hurriedly jogged after her, while the Empress shook her head helplessly.

After the two left, all the palace maids and eunuchs present also withdrew, leaving only the Empress and Xia Changfeng.

The Empress sighed, "The princess of a fallen kingdom, the holy maiden of Miao territory, and the only daughter of the General of the North are all in your residence. This is truly a complete mess."

Xia Changfeng didn't feel any difficulty at all. Since learning that the Holy Maiden was Ruan Wan, he was overjoyed.

The Empress looked at Xia Changfeng and asked, "Why does the Holy Maiden look so much like Qian Yuan's wife? Is there any explanation for this?"

Before entering the palace, Ruan Wan instructed that if the Empress asked about this, she should tell the Empress according to her instructions. Unexpectedly, the Empress did ask. Could it be that the Holy Maiden really has the ability to foresee the future?

Xia Changfeng laughed and said, "My cousin's maternal grandmother and the Holy Maiden's maternal grandmother were twin sisters, which is why they look so alike."

The Empress squinted at Xia Changfeng. "Such a coincidence! Did the Holy Maiden tell you this?"

Xia Changfeng nodded, and the Empress slammed her hand on the table. "How dare you! You two conspired to deceive His Majesty! This Holy Maiden doesn't even know who Ruan Wan is, so how could she know that their maternal grandmothers are twin sisters? Who exactly is this Holy Maiden?"