Ties of Love, Ruan Wan

After leaving the Lou residence, Ruan Wan hurriedly returned to Yaotai Courtyard. She tiptoed back to her room, walked to the bedside, glanced at Xia Changfeng who was still fast asleep, and then went back to bed.

The next day, news of Sun Shishi's death from fright spread throughout the capital, and all sorts of rumors began to circulate.

One rumor spread like wildfire, saying that the feng shui of the Lou Mansion was bad, and that people living there were dying one after another, and that it was haunted.

Even the Grand Master of Ceremonies, personally appointed by the emperor, was frightened to death, which shows how truly eerie this place is.

Then some people remembered the miracles of the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang. The people living nearby were really afraid that this haunted house would affect them.

Several families went to the Jingzhao Prefecture to jointly petition the government, hoping to invite a holy maiden to exorcise evil spirits.

The rumors grew increasingly outrageous, with some even claiming that a demon was originally suppressed beneath the mansion, and that it could be suppressed while the Duke of Zhenguo was alive, but now that the Duke of Zhenguo has died, the demon has escaped.

Panic gripped the people, and more and more people went to the Jingzhao Prefecture to petition. Sun Shishi's funeral was not yet over, and everyone was too preoccupied to worry about anything else, wanting to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

The Prefect of Jingzhao could no longer bear it and finally reported the matter to the Emperor.

Xia Changfeng ran into Yaotai Courtyard with a smile. "Xiaozhu, you're truly amazing! Your prediction was absolutely right. Father Emperor wants you to go to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to exorcise evil spirits."

Ruan Wan smiled as she looked at Xia Changfeng. She was the one who spread these rumors, so of course she could predict this outcome. "After I go to the Lou residence, you can mention to the Emperor that you want Cui Mo and the others released."

Xia Changfeng nodded, "Of course, they're no use staying at the Lou residence, so it's better to let them go home."

Ruan Wan stepped into the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion through the main gate again after a long absence. Looking at the vermilion gate that was as old as ever, Ruan Wan was filled with emotion.

Ah Jin stood at the door waiting, his head down, not daring to look at Ruan Wan, afraid that he would burst into tears.

The once glorious and illustrious Zhenguo Duke's Mansion has fallen into ruin. With Sun Shishi's death, the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion is truly about to disappear from this world.

Cui Mo had composed herself and stepped forward, saying, "Holy Maiden, let this servant show you the way."

Returning to the old place, the houses and furnishings are still the same as before, and the statue of the Duke of Zhenguo is placed in the main hall.

The majestic appearance of the general was the first time Ruan Wan had ever seen her father-in-law.

Ruan Wan walked around the main hall, then glanced at Cui Mo beside her. Cui Mo immediately led Ruan Wan into the inner hall.

There were quite a few people watching the commotion at the entrance, craning their necks to look inside. Xia Changfeng's men surrounded the mansion, blocking the onlookers.

Ruan Wan's hand caressed the familiar bricks and tiles, knowing she would probably never have the chance to see them again.

Cui Mo said, "Madam, most of the courtyard is still the same as before, except for the medicinal herb garden that you and Young Master cultivated. Miss Biao couldn't stand it and had it filled in."

Ruan Wan chuckled lightly, "What's the point of this herb garden now that everyone's gone?"

After circling around, Ruan Wan finally stopped in front of her and Lou Qianyuan's bedroom.

All the scenes of her playing and joking with Lou Qianyuan seemed to be playing out before her eyes again.

Ruan Wan wondered if all of this was just a dream. She pushed open the door in front of her, and Lou Qianyuan greeted her with a smile.

Standing at the door for a long time, Ruan Wan still didn't have the courage to push it open. At this moment, Cui Mo spoke up, "Madam, we clean your and Young Master's room every day. When Miss Biao wanted to enter this room, we desperately stopped her, threatening to spread the word if she did."

Ruan Wan still pushed open the door. "I'll be alone for a while."

Cui Mo stood guard outside. Ruan Wan closed the door. The spotless room was just as it had been the day she left, with the curtains from last autumn still hanging on the door frame.

The room remains the same, but the people can never return. Lou Qianyuan can never return, and now Ruan Wan can never return either.

Ruan Wan always thought she was strong enough, and that hatred had filled her heart so much that she had no time for sadness.

But seeing their former love nest, Ruan Wan couldn't help but feel a surge of longing.

No one was watching her in the room anymore; she was still Ruan Wan, Lou Qianyuan's wife.

Ruan Wan curled up on the bed. Lou Qianyuan's scent had long since dissipated from the room, and only sorrow embraced her now.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but Ruan Wan felt extremely tired, more tired than she had ever been before. Only here could she finally catch her breath.

There was a knock at the door, and Ruan Wan almost reflexively sat up in bed, standing straight. "What is it?"

"Xiao Zhu, it's getting late, we should probably wrap this up now," came Xia Changfeng's voice.

Ruan Wan tidied her hair and clothes, walked towards the door, opened it, and Xia Changfeng looked inside. "What have you been doing in there for so long?"

Ruan Wan ignored him and instead looked at Cui Mo beside her, saying, "Have A Jin send someone to clean this room every day, and keep everything as it is."

Watching Ruan Wan's retreating figure, Xia Changfeng looked somewhat lost. It seemed that his cousin's death had still had a great impact on her, and he wondered when he could win back her heart.

Ruan Wan was merely going through the motions before returning to Yaotai Courtyard; the matter now fell to Xia Changfeng.

Inside the imperial study, the emperor sat at his desk reviewing memorials without even looking up. "Has the Holy Maiden read them?"

Xia Changfeng replied, "Father, the Holy Maiden went to see her this afternoon."

"Is there any solution?"

Xia Changfeng bowed and replied, "The Holy Maiden did not inquire about the specific reason, only saying that she had set up a temple on the site of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and invited a high-ranking monk from Lingquan Temple outside the city to stay here, which could relieve his worries."

The emperor looked up at Xia Changfeng, a faint smile playing on his lips, his heart pounding as he looked at Xia Changfeng.

After a moment, the emperor lowered his head and continued reviewing the memorials. "Go and do it. This matter is entrusted to you."

Xia Changfeng breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to the emperor again. "Father, since the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion will be converted into a temple, I wish to ask for the freedom of the maids and servants in the mansion."

The emperor still didn't look up, his vermilion brush tracing the words, "Such a trivial matter, you can decide for yourself, why bother asking me?" on the memorial.

Everything proceeded according to Ruan Wan's plan, with every step within her expectations.

Meanwhile, inside Qingfang Courtyard, Linglong was still troubled and confused. The coroner had already concluded that Sun Shishi had indeed been frightened to death.

However, this was not the most troubling thing for Linglong. The problem was that the boxes that were brought into Yaotai Courtyard a few days ago were not brought in from outside the city.

Instead, it was transported from the slums in the west of the city, where there was a stronghold she had once placed, which is now abandoned.

This made Linglong uneasy. What exactly was sent to Yaotai Courtyard? The box was so big that it could easily fit a person.

Because of these uncertainties, Linglong was filled with anxiety every day, but Yaotai Courtyard had not taken any action.

Before we knew it, it was Chinese New Year again. Little Yuanyuan had grown up so much, from a little chubby dumpling to a baby who could walk on the ground.

It snowed again in the capital. Aqing led Xiaoyuanyuan and they ran in the snow. It was the first time the little guy had seen snow since he was born, and he was very excited.

Ruan Wan leisurely watched the two play and joke around from under the eaves. A Zi stood to the side, and Ruan Wan also invited A Zi to play with her.

Azi shook her head. She no longer felt the same joy she had when she first saw snow; instead, she was somewhat afraid of the cold of the capital.

Xia Changfeng arrived through the snow, draped in a black fox fur cloak. He had gotten married, become a father, and aged a few years. Xia Changfeng was no longer the boy Ruan Wan remembered.

He has become more mature and composed, his facial features have become sharper, and he is gradually showing the demeanor of a king.

Xia Changfeng squatted down in front of Xiao Yuanyuan and clapped his hands at her. "Yuanyuan, come to Daddy."

Little Yuanyuan was very close to Xia Changfeng. She broke free from Aqing's hand and staggered into Xia Changfeng's arms.

The snow made walking difficult, and Xiao Yuanyuan slipped and stumbled, about to fall. Xia Changfeng quickly reached out and hugged Yuanyuan in his arms.

Little Yuanyuan wasn't scared at all; instead, she giggled in Xia Changfeng's arms.

Xia Changfeng picked up Yuanyuan and walked towards Ruan Wan. "It seems Yuanyuan will start walking earlier than Mingyue."

Looking at the scene before her, Ruan Wan couldn't help but sigh. If Lou Qianyuan were here, he would definitely be playing wildly in the snow with his daughter.

Ruan Wan was stunned for a moment. Xia Changfeng teased Yuan Yuan in his arms. After a while, Xia Changfeng asked, "Are you going to the New Year's Eve banquet this year?"

Ruan Wan smiled and took Xiao Yuanyuan from her. "We're not going. It's too cold, and our little Yuanyuan is afraid of the cold."

Xia Changfeng glanced at the numerous small footprints on the ground behind him and chuckled, "It's better not to go. Nothing good ever comes of it."

Back in the room, Azi poured Xia Changfeng a cup of hot tea. After a year of waiting, Xia Changfeng finally got to drink the tea served by Azi and Aqing.

The two girls were quite dark-skinned when they first came to Daxia, but now they've gotten much fairer and look more delicate.

Xia Changfeng took a sip of tea and said, "The snow came early this year, and it's unusually cold."

Ruan Wan glanced at the sky outside. "It'll probably rain again soon, so don't sleep here tonight; it's too cold on the couch."

Xia Changfeng didn't respond, but instead asked, "Something happened in the palace, are you aware of it?"

Ruan Wan looked at Xia Changfeng with a puzzled expression. "Is it something interesting or unusual?"

Xia Changfeng chuckled lightly, "You really can't hide anything from me."

Ruan Wan smiled and said, "You usually tell me directly if there's anything important. If you ask me, I know it's not something important; it must be something interesting."

"Your aunt had a terrible nightmare last night, saying she saw the deceased Chang Le in the palace. Father rushed over to see her last night and then stayed at Qixiang Palace."

"From which palace did the emperor go to Qixiang Palace?"

Xia Changfeng laughed and said, "You guessed it again, it naturally comes from Consort Ruan's Chengqian Palace."

Ruan Wan frowned. Based on her understanding of her aunt, she shouldn't be the kind of person who believed in ghosts and gods, and she seemed to dislike the emperor.

Looking at Ruan Wan's puzzled expression, Xia Changfeng said, "Your aunt has always been cold to Father Emperor, but I don't know why she has suddenly changed her personality?"

Ruan Wan's eyes were dim as she said, "Perhaps she was truly afraid. Last time I entered the palace, she asked me if Chang Le's spirit remained there."

Xia Changfeng sighed, "She only had one daughter, Chang Le. No matter how distant they were on a daily basis, she must have been heartbroken, after all, Chang Le died so tragically."

Mentioning Chang Le inevitably made Xia Changfeng a little sad, after all, she was the younger sister he had watched grow up since she was a child.

Ruan Wan asked, "Hasn't Chang Le's head been found yet?"

Xia Changfeng shook his head. "Changle was beheaded on the battlefield. After the great battle, only her body was found. Her head was never found. Her body and head were separated. My father is always very sad when he mentions this."

Ruan Wan gave a mocking laugh. "What does he have to be sad about? He didn't personally send Chang Le to Chu. He knew all along that Chang Le was destined to die on this trip."

Seeing Ruan Wan speak of her father in such a way, Xia Changfeng was somewhat annoyed, but he had no way to refute her. "Father also has his own difficulties. As the Son of Heaven, everything in the world, including himself, is just a pawn."

Ruan Wan sneered, "If you have the ambition to unify the world, like the Eastern Yi who can wage war whenever they want, why do you have to use a daughter's life to gain legitimacy? You want the world and to be remembered for eternity. What is a daughter to you?"

Xia Changfeng was speechless for a moment. In fact, he also disagreed with using Chang Le as a bargaining chip to start a war.

A fierce glint appeared in Ruan Wan's eyes as she looked at the bright yellow buildings in the distance. Even from this Yaotai Courtyard, one could see a corner of the majestic imperial palace in bright yellow.

“However, he can never become the overlord of this world,” Ruan Wan turned to look at Xia Changfeng. “Only you can unify this continent.”

Ruan Wan kept bringing up this matter, but Xia Changfeng never asked in detail, "You keep saying this. Is it inevitable that I will unify this continent in the future?"

Ruan Wan shook her head and then nodded. "This is just one possibility for the future. No one can accurately predict the future. However, I will definitely assist you in unifying this continent."

Seeing Ruan Wan's resolute gaze, Xia Changfeng's heart pounded with anxiety. The throne of Great Xia might not even be his for the fore.

The Emperor's intentions began to waver again. Xia Wuxiu was sent to the four cities of Dongyi. Some people thought it was just a punishment, while others thought it was the Emperor's hope.

Managing the four cities of Dongyi well would be a great achievement, and it would also mean that in the future, when the world is unified, Xia Wuxiu will have the ability to manage the entire continent.

However, the emperor of the annexed Chu state forbade Xia Changfeng from interfering, but fortunately, Xia Ziru was also unable to intervene.

Emperors always act this way. Just when Xia Changfeng thought the throne was within his grasp, they would let the thread in his hand drift further and further away, making Xia Changfeng uneasy.

He was the legitimate son of the Empress, yet the Emperor personally severed all the support he had.

The military power of the Lou and Rong families was completely severed, yet they were still allowed to associate with the forces of the Six Ministries.

So the emperor is testing who can inherit the throne. In that case, the throne may not necessarily belong to Xia Changfeng.

Before the New Year, A Jin came to report to Xia Changfeng on the progress of the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion's renovation into a temple. The Emperor had entrusted Xia Changfeng with this task.

Xia Changfeng met A Jin at Ruan Wan's Yaotai Courtyard, in front of Ruan Wan.

After A Jin finished reporting on the progress of the renovation, Xia Changfeng got up and left Yaotai Courtyard, leaving A Jin behind.

Looking at Ruan Wan now in the Seventh Prince's residence, Ah Jin was filled with emotion. "Madam, may I see the young princess?"

Ruan Wan glanced at A Qing, who immediately went to pick up Xiao Yuanyuan.

Ah Jin looked at little Yuan Yuan in Ah Qing's arms, her eyes beginning to redden. "Little Princess, you look so much like the young master, that nose, it's practically identical!"

Looking at the bloodline left by Lou Qianyuan, A Jin felt both joy and sorrow. He was happy that the Lou family had a successor, but sad that the young master's bloodline would have to take someone else's surname.

Ruan Wan told him that only in this way could the young master's bloodline be preserved. Seeing his grandfather and young master die one by one, A Jin had no choice but to believe her.

Little Yuanyuan looked at Ajin with some timidity at first, but when she saw Ajin crying in front of her, Little Yuanyuan reached out and wiped away Ajin's tears.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Ah Jin actually stretched out his hands to Xiao Yuan Yuan, and unexpectedly, Xiao Yuan Yuan also stretched out her hands to Ah Jin.

At this moment, Ah Jin's hand was suspended in mid-air. How could a male servant like him hold the little princess?

Ruan Wan said, "Give her a hug, give her a hug for her father."

As if understanding Ruan Wan's words, Xiao Yuanyuan threw herself into A Jin's arms.

Ah Jin felt an unprecedented warmth at that moment, and burst into tears of joy, "If only the young master were still alive!"

How wonderful it would be if the whole family were happy and content, watching little Yuanyuan grow up.

After holding her for a while, Ah Jin returned Xiao Yuanyuan to Ah Qing, wiped the tears from his face, and said to Ruan Wan, "Madam, Cui Mo and the others asked me to give you some news. They are doing well at the estate, so you don't need to worry about them."

Ruan Wan nodded and asked, "How are Lan Yu and Ting Qin recovering?"

"They recovered very well after using the medicine you gave them, Madam. They were able to get out of bed last month. I only have them clean your and the young master's rooms."

"How's the thing I asked you to do going?"

Ah Jin replied, "The main hall has been converted into the Mahavira Hall. The master's statue has been moved to one side, and a golden Buddha statue has been placed in the middle. The second courtyard has been converted into meditation rooms for the monks to rest. The housekeepers' wives and the others stay to cook vegetarian meals for the monks. The third courtyard, which is where you and the young master live, has been preserved as it was. As per your instructions, Miss Cousin's courtyard has been converted into a secret room."

Ruan Wan nodded. "Every seven days, go and check on the secret room. You don't need to do anything else, just keep it clean."