Chapter 25: A Hero of the Great Chu

Upon hearing her words, Yunlai froze, then grew deeply shocked. "You've got to be kidding... Mingyue, you’ve been in the palace for four years, and you’ve never heard of the Eldest Princess?"

Sheng Mingyue felt even more uneasy. She quickly set down her chopsticks and asked humbly, "I was just the most insignificant person in the late Empress’s palace; I never had any contact with anyone of noble status."

Yunlai nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. By the time you entered the palace, the Eldest Princess had already been married off to the northern desert."

"Married off to the northern desert?" Song Guo widened her eyes, joining the conversation. "Then how did this princess come back?"

"I’ll tell you both, but don’t you dare go spreading it!" Seeing them swear to the heavens, Yunlai lost his reservations and lowered his voice. "The northern desert has a disgusting custom. When a princess marries a Khan, if the Khan dies, the princess not only loses her freedom but must marry the new Khan, suffering all sorts of humiliation."

"Then the Eldest Princess..."

"Let me finish." Yunlai interrupted Song Guo, his expression mysterious. "The Eldest Princess is the Empress Dowager’s most beloved daughter. When she was first forced into the marriage, the Empress Dowager made quite a scene."

"Now that the old Khan has passed away, and the Eldest Princess is five months pregnant and about to be married off to the new Khan, the Empress Dowager heard the news and threatened her own life to force the Emperor to send troops to bring the Eldest Princess back to the capital."

Yunlai sighed deeply, his face filled with melancholy. "Now the Eldest Princess is heavily pregnant and leading a teenage daughter; life was becoming impossible. Thankfully, she has returned to her homeland, so life should be a bit easier."

Hearing this, Sheng Mingyue felt somewhat dazed, wondering why the onlookers had suddenly mentioned the Eldest Princess.

"Anyway, I won’t gossip with you any longer." Yunlai grabbed a pastry from a nearby plate and waved at them. "The Eldest Princess will arrive later; I need to go check on the front courtyard."

Sheng Mingyue lost her appetite, pushed her bowl forward, and said softly, "I’m finished."

"You’ve only eaten that little?" Song Guo muttered with her mouth full of rice. "Once you’re done, go wait on the bed. I’ll change your bandages in a moment."

Sheng Mingyue nodded distractedly and obediently went to the bedside.

The household of the Prince’s estate waited from dawn until sunset, until finally, a carriage rolled around the corner.

The carriage looked incredibly spacious, the body ornate and opulent, the curtains made of silk—exuding ultimate luxury.

The carriage stopped in front of the Prince of Jing’an’s estate, and the curtains were lifted by a fair, delicate hand.

"Blessings to the Eldest Princess, blessings to Princess Jia’an."

The servants at the gate bowed quickly, their etiquette so precise that no fault could be found.

Rong Min stepped off the carriage with the help of a palace attendant, followed by a girl of about fifteen or sixteen. She looked around, not seeing her younger brother, and asked, "Where is A'Zhao?"

Yunlai hurried forward to report, bowing respectfully, "Replying to the Eldest Princess, His Highness is feeling unwell today and cannot bear the cold wind, so he is waiting for you in the front hall."

Rong Min gave a soft hum and said to her daughter at her side, "Jia’an, come inside with Mother."

Jia’an was still dressed in the attire of a northern desert girl—a black and red robe, a belt inlaid with thumb-sized jade, and a sable fur hat. She held her mother’s hand tightly, looking around with curiosity.

Rong Min frowned and scolded her with displeasure, "Jia’an, mind your manners."

Jia’an immediately calmed down, not daring to fidget anymore.

Before they even entered the front hall, Rong Min saw the man in the hall from afar. He was dressed in blue with dark hair, his appearance refined and handsome. He was tucked into a rabbit-fur blanket, coughing every few moments.

It was indeed A'Zhao.

"A'Zhao."

Hearing the commotion outside, Rong Zhao lazily lifted his eyes, his gaze falling upon the woman outside the door.

Rong Min was beautiful, dressed in a phoenix robe of cloud brocade, looking dignified and noble. However, having lived in the northern desert for many years, her skin was no longer fair and smooth. She carried a rounded, pregnant belly and held a young girl by the hand.

The girl she held was curiously sizing him up, her eyes devoid of any respect, filled instead with mockery.

Rong Zhao slowly stood up, locking eyes with the woman in the distance, and called out softly, "Eldest Sister..."

Rong Min’s eyes turned red; she released Jia’an’s hand and ran toward Rong Zhao.

Rong Zhao sighed softly, fearing she might hurt the child in her womb, and helplessly went to meet her.

Rong Min threw herself into his arms, weeping aloud, "A'Zhao... Eldest Sister has finally seen you again!"

Hearing this, Rong Zhao’s eyes also grew sore. He gently patted her back and whispered, "Eldest Sister, you are home. It is all in the past now."

"You have no idea what kind of life Eldest Sister led in the northern desert..." Rong Min shook her head, sobbing. Mentioning the past, her eyes were filled only with terror. "Eighteen years. I barely slept a single night in peace, fearing that if I fell into a deep sleep, I would be beaten by that man again."

"A'Zhao... to be able to see you and the Empress Dowager again is something your Eldest Sister never dared to dream of!"

A flash of heartache crossed Rong Zhao’s eyes. His gaze rested on Rong Min, and through her weathered face, he could vaguely see the young girl who had patiently coaxed him to eat when they were children.

Rong Zhao was silent for a long time before saying softly, "Eldest Sister, it was you who preserved the peace between Great Chu and the northern desert. You are a hero of all Great Chu; you deserve the respect of the Emperor and the love of the people. Now that you are back, you don’t need to fear anything."

Rong Min bowed her head, sobbing uncontrollably in his arms.

As the siblings spoke of their longing, neither noticed that Jia’an, who had been following Rong Min, had vanished.

***

Juxin Garden

"Miss, your hand is still injured; you don’t need to come help me." Song Guo looked at the young woman crouching before her and sighed helplessly. "If you would just listen and properly nurse your injury, that would be the biggest help to me."

Sheng Mingyue kept her head buried, using her only sound hand to organize the scattered medicinal herbs. Hearing this, she smiled softly, "Most of these herbs are being used on me; how can I just sit by and watch without lending a hand?"

Song Guo shook her head, unable to do anything about the person before her. "Since you’ve made up your mind, I cannot interfere, but you must be careful with your hand."

Sheng Mingyue raised her little face and smiled at her. Though she only had one hand, she was still deft at her work.

The next moment, an unidentified object struck Song Guo’s forehead hard.

"Ah!"

Song Guo let out a cry of pain, falling to the ground, clutching her forehead. She even crushed a few dried herbs as she fell.

"Song Guo!" Sheng Mingyue was startled by the sudden turn of events and immediately moved to help her up, asking anxiously, "Are you alright..."

Song Guo struggled to open one eye, pointed at the pinecone on the ground, and gritted her teeth. "Someone hit my head with a pinecone!"

"Hahaha... that is too funny!"

A crisp, girlish laugh came from outside the garden. The two inside looked toward the sound and saw Jia’an leaning against the door frame, laughing so hard she couldn't stop.

"Did you hit me?" Song Guo realized something was wrong, her eyes widening. "Who are you, and how did you get in here!"

Jia’an held her aching stomach, tears of laughter streaming down her face. "I hit you with a pinecone, and you happen to be named Song Guo—how could this be anything but fate? That name deserves to be hit; it’s too funny, hahaha..."

"You..."

Seeing Song Guo humiliated, Sheng Mingyue felt a surge of annoyance and raised her voice, "Whose young lady are you? Entering the inner courtyard without the Prince’s permission and injuring the Prince’s physician—do you have any idea what kind of crime this is!"