Hua Manman first paid a visit to the Duke Zhen Country Mansion.
She dismissed the attendants, leaving only herself and Princess Rouwan in the room.
Princess Rouwan frowned. "Why do you have that look on your face? Don’t tell me Li Ji has gotten into trouble outside again?"
Hua Manman lowered her voice and said grimly.
"Something big might be about to happen in Shangjing. It would be best for you to leave the capital as soon as possible and lie low for a while.
I remember the Prince has a villa outside the city. If you don’t mind, you could stay there for a while.
If you find the villa too quiet, you could also move to the estate. It’s much livelier there, with more people."
Princess Rouwan was skeptical. "Isn’t everything fine in the capital? What sort of big event could happen?"
Hua Manman leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"The Saint is currently bedridden with a lingering illness. I suspect he may not live for much longer."
Princess Rouwan was shocked.
She grabbed Hua Manman’s wrist and hissed through gritted teeth.
"You foolish girl, how can you say such things carelessly? If anyone overheard you, both you and the child in your belly would be dead!"
Hua Manman said, "I’m not speaking carelessly. The Prince told me this in secret before he left. He told me not to spread it around."
’She had no other choice but to pin the blame on Li Ji.’
’Besides, Li Ji wasn’t in the capital right now. Even if Princess Rouwan wanted to confront him, she wouldn’t be able to find him.’
Princess Rouwan knew that Li Ji was highly regarded by the Emperor. Li Ji often went to the palace for audiences, so perhaps he really did know some secrets others didn’t.
For a moment, she was actually swayed.
Hua Manman added emphatically, "With something this serious, I have no reason to lie to you!"
Princess Rouwan thought it over seriously.
’As the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry.’
’There was no harm in believing it this once. She wouldn’t lose anything, anyway.’
"If something happens in the capital, your Prince Zhao Mansion certainly won’t be safe either. Why don’t you move to the villa with me for a while?"
Hua Manman shook her head. "I still have to inform my parents later. I’ll be accompanying them to our estate. Would the Commandery Princess like to come stay with us there?"
Princess Rouwan declined her kind offer.
"I prefer to live alone. It’s peaceful."
It never crossed her mind to go to the palace to warn the Emperor to be careful.
To her, the Emperor was the person in this world who most deserved to die.
He had ruined her life.
Forget saving him; it was already a great act of restraint on her part not to rush in and finish him off.
「Two days later.」
Princess Rouwan, under the pretext of recuperating, left the Duke Zhen Country Mansion with a large retinue and moved to the villa outside the city.
This wasn’t a major event and didn’t attract much attention.
But the Night Owl Guard still reported the matter to the Emperor.
Ever since the Emperor and Princess Rouwan had their night of passion, he had never seen her again.
No matter what event was held in the palace, Princess Rouwan would always claim illness and not attend.
Even when the Empress Dowager sent someone to invite her, she would find an excuse to refuse.
So many years had passed that the Emperor had almost forgotten what Princess Rouwan looked like. He only vaguely remembered that her eyes were exceptionally beautiful, especially when she glared at someone—full of charming anger, as radiant as a flower.
Wu Wang asked cautiously.
"Does Your Majesty wish to see Princess Rouwan?"
The Emperor closed his eyes. "There’s no need."
He knew very well why Princess Rouwan was unwilling to see him again.
He also understood that not meeting was the best way to handle things.
’Let it be.’
’There’s no need to reopen a wound that has already healed.’
Hua Qingqing walked in carrying a bowl of medicinal soup, cooled to the right temperature, and said softly.
"Your Majesty, it’s time to take your medicine."
The Emperor’s gaze was very gentle as he looked at her.
’The past is the past. Now, there is someone before him who needs his affection more.’
After he finished the medicine, Hua Qingqing helped the Emperor lie down.
"You should get some sleep. I will be right here watching over you. Just say the word if you need anything."
The Emperor said warmly, "After the New Year, We will raise your rank again."
Hua Qingqing said in astonishment.
"How could that be?
I have no merits or virtues. I’ve only been in the palace for a little over a year and have already been promoted to Zhaorong. This is a blessing from a past life.
If I am promoted again, I’m afraid people will use it to cause trouble and spread malicious gossip.
If they only spoke ill of me, it wouldn’t matter. I am not an important person, so a few insults are nothing.
But I cannot let you be implicated as well.
You are the greatest Saint in this world. I cannot bear to hear a single bad word said about you."
The Emperor didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"How can you talk about yourself like that?
You are completely devoted to Us, and you’ve taken such meticulous care of Us during Our illness.
It is only right and proper that We reward you.
If anyone dares to make an issue of this, We will punish them.
In short, We will not let you be wronged. You just have to wait peacefully for your enfeoffment."
Hua Qingqing was so moved that her eyes welled with tears, wishing she could offer her very life to the Emperor.
After the Emperor had rested.
Hua Qingqing finally wiped her tears, her expression returning to one of calm.
She got up, walked out of the bedchamber, and spoke to the palace maid waiting outside the door.
"Go back and check on the Seventh Prince."
"Yes."
During this time, Hua Qingqing had been staying in Hanzhang Hall every day and rarely had time to return to Moon Viewing Pavilion to care for her child. She could only temporarily entrust the Seventh Prince to the care of Xi Xiang and a nanny.
She looked out at the vast, white snowscape and prayed silently.
’I hope the Emperor’s illness gets better soon.’
’I want to go back and be with my child.’
Just then, Prince Wu Zhang, Li Ying, slowly approached from a distance.
He wasn’t holding an umbrella, only wearing a cloak.
White snowflakes covered his head and shoulders.
When he walked up the steps and saw Hua Qingqing, he gave her a slight nod.
"Zhen Zhaorong."
Hua Qingqing exchanged a few pleasantries with him, the content of which was simply about how the Emperor was doing today and if his condition had improved.
Learning that the Emperor was resting, Li Ying decided to wait in the side hall.
As they passed each other, Hua Qingqing unintentionally glimpsed a bit of red string showing at his wrist. Something seemed to be hanging from it.
But because it was just a fleeting glance, Hua Qingqing couldn’t see clearly what it was.
She only felt that the color of the object looked a little familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
Li Ying entered the side hall, took off his cloak, and handed it to Liang Yong, who was following behind him.
Liang Yong said, "You were just out in the snow, you must be freezing. Hurry and warm yourself by the fire."
Li Ying walked to the brazier but didn’t warm his hands. Instead, he took off the small sachet hanging from his wrist and carefully held it over the charcoal fire to dry.
The sachet had gotten a little damp from the snow.
If Hua Qingqing had been there, she would surely have remembered that this was the very sachet her mother had given to Hua Manman all those years ago!
The sachet was clearly tattered and worn, yet Li Ying still treated it like a treasure, carrying it with him every day, terrified of losing it again.
Seeing this, Liang Yong sighed to himself.
’Buddhism speaks of the seven sufferings of man.’
’Birth, old age, sickness, death, meeting the hated, separation from the loved, and not obtaining what one desires.’
’Mr. Wu suffers from separation from the loved, while the Fourth Prince suffers from not obtaining what he desires.’
’Both of them are people who suffer deeply from these.’