CH 47

You are the most cherished person to Ming Qin

Murong Yan was seated at the banquet held in the palace, where she met the new Emperor amidst the pleasant spring weather. Being a royal relative and the lawful daughter of Prince Yu, she was placed near the head of the table, next to her brother, Murong Can.

As the night progressed and the men indulged in the flowing wine, Murong Yan remained serene and simply sipped her tea, her gaze fixated on the mouth-watering dishes before her.

“Yue’er, it’s our birthday today. Won’t you grace us with a smile?” Murong Can, his face flushed with alcohol, turned to his sister, who seemed out of place. “Shall we celebrate for you?”

Before she could even respond, the men raised their cups and shouted in unison. Several male generals approached Murong Yan, their faces adorned with broad grins, as they awkwardly bowed and exclaimed in hoarse voices.

“Princess sister, may you live a long life!”

“What kind of impolite address is ‘sister’? She’s a princess! Happy birthday to the esteemed Princess, wishing you abundant joy and good health!”

“Hey hey hey! You’ve stolen my words, now what else can I say? May you have a lifetime of marital bliss, Princess! A hundred years of happy marriage!”

“Old Wei! Are you out of your mind? My sister hasn’t even found a husband yet, with whom could she share a happy marriage?”

As Murong Yan observed the raucous and disorderly scene before her, she couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness in her heart, causing her to reminisce about her birthday celebration from the previous year.

In that small room, with only the two of them present, the twinkling sparks of light held within the warmth of their hands were more splendid and exhilarating than the dazzling brilliance of the grand hall.

She delicately sipped her tea, her head hung low, as if attempting to contain the bitterness that had risen within her heart.

As the night wore on, the palace banquet was dominated by a boisterous crowd of men, most of whom were rugged soldiers accustomed to the harsh realities of military life. After consuming several barrels of wine, their speech became slurred, and they began to make crude and insensitive jokes.

Murong Yan didn’t feel angry, but a sense of irritation crept over her. When Murong Can rose to refill his cup for the third time, she slipped away from her seat in silence.

It had been nearly a decade since her last visit to the palace, when her right leg had not yet been amputated.

In her youth, she had relied on her superficial charm and insignificant talents to gain the favor of others.

She once strutted with ease through the vast Imperial Palace, flaunting her beauty for all to see.

If only she could have warned her younger self that such haughtiness would invite immense trouble, but the impetuous and headstrong girl would have never heeded such advice.

The flowers and trees in the courtyard were much the same as she remembered, but the people had undergone significant transformations.

Slowly strolling along the cobblestone path, her hand grasping a cane, she breathed in the moist air that carried the sweet aroma of newly blooming vegetation.

As she took a deep breath, she suddenly found herself face to face with a diminutive figure.

“Your Majesty,” Murong Yan bowed with a graceful hand gesture to kneel and greet, but was halted by the young Emperor’s intervention.

“No, please don’t bow to me,” Murong Wan’s robe draped loosely over his frame, and his hand quivered, causing the pearls on his headdress to clatter against each other. “Please rise, quickly rise.”

The woman stood up straight, her slender and solitary form appearing even more delicate than the willow branches swaying in the breeze behind her. Murong Wan, who had also departed from the banquet early, hesitated before speaking with his youthful voice, “I… We know that you are not feeling well, so there is no need to bow to Us.”

“Your Majesty has recently ascended the throne and has countless matters to attend to. It is entirely my fault for causing Your Majesty to be concerned about my health,” Murong Yan spoke humbly, her gaze lowered and her posture respectful, though her tone was distant.

“No, it’s not a bother!” The young Emperor hastily waved his hand and continued, “It’s because Ming Qin informed me that I…”

The woman lifted her gaze and spoke softly, “Did Ming Qin mention me to Your Majesty?”

Murong Wan nodded in confirmation. “During our lunch chats at Guozi Jian, Ming Qin would bring up the Princess Chongwen every few sentences.”

“And…what did she say about me?” Murong Yan inquired, her voice tinged with bitterness.

The young man pondered for a moment before shyly scratching his head. “Ming Qin always praised your beauty, calling you the most magnificent and influential woman in the world.”

He reminisced about their time spent in the lengthy corridor, where the woman would happily gesture while relishing the delicacies prepared by the imperial kitchen.

“Whenever Ming Qin finds something delectable, she would share it with me, but if it’s not enough, she would adamantly refuse me, no matter how much I pleaded…she wouldn’t budge,” he reminisced.

The usually composed expression on Murong Wan’s face seldom revealed a hint of childlike glee. “She always says that it’s for the Princess Chongwen.”

“You are Ming Qin’s most cherished person,” he added.

Murong Yan tightly shut her eyes and tilted her head back, attempting to suppress the overwhelming warmth and trembling as she spoke, “She…is also the person I cherish the most.”

The attentive and empathetic young Emperor proffered a handkerchief to the woman, but she politely declined.

“Min Qing will return,” he said casually, standing with his hands clasped behind his back and gazing towards the towering palace walls. “We made a vow to each other that we would triumph in our own battles.”

Under the veil of darkness, the young Emperor and the delicate Princess carried an aura of unspoken solitude.

The execution of the rebels was scheduled for the early days of summer.

Although the former Crown Prince had not been captured, they successfully apprehended his mother’s clan and other corrupt officials who were associated with him.

The new Emperor was merciful and did not want to punish their entire families, so he only executed the clan leaders in public and exiled their relatives as commoners, barring them from holding any official positions for three generations.

Murong Yan had no intention of venturing out into the streets where bloodthirsty mobs roamed. However, while she was on her way to the Hidden Moon Tower in a carriage, she unexpectedly caught sight of the young man in fancy clothing whom she had encountered in the mountain village and town.

He looked nothing like the arrogant and ostentatious dandy who had harassed women back then. The man now appeared disheveled and despondent, with empty eyes and a scar running from his right cheek to his jaw, as if it had been inflicted by a savage beast.

He sat on a crude wooden wheelchair with his legs bent at an odd angle, and his left hand was concealed beneath his sleeve, out of sight.

As they made their way through the city, some commoners hurled rotting vegetable scraps at him, and he and his companions were shackled and berated by officials as they were led out of the city.

The once-arrogant and entitled second son of the Ministry of Rites now appeared forlorn and destitute.

After a brief glance, Murong Yan drew the carriage curtain closed, and Murong Can, who sat beside her, asked with genuine concern, “Yue’er, are you sure you want to return to the tower?”

With the Crown Prince’s downfall, Murong Yan no longer had to worry about her livelihood, and she could no longer live in confinement if she so desired.

His younger sister could easily reside in the Prince’s estate within the capital. Alternatively, she could choose to live within the Changning Palace, a residence once granted to her within the Imperial Palace.

If she desired, he could temporarily suspend his military duties and accompany her on a journey to explore the natural beauty of the countryside, shielding her from the city’s distressing memories.

There was no logical rationale for her to return to the Hidden Moon Tower.

Murong Yan remained expressionless as she lightly caressed the stone earring adorning her earlobe and whispered, “She’ll get lost…”

“Hmm?” Murong Can furrowed his brow in confusion.

The woman’s mind was filled with the image of Ming Qin leaning out of the window with a radiant smile and twinkling eyes.

Softly, she spoke again, “If I’m not there, she’ll lose her way.” And then she fell into silence.

If she didn’t remain in that place that bound them, if silly Ah Qin returned, she would be lost in search of her.

Thus, she had to stay and wait.

Just like a year before, when she patiently waited every day for Ah Qin to return.