A wu was in high spirits today. They had a bountiful harvest, but unfortunately, while picking up fish and shrimp, A wu accidentally twisted her ankle as she jumped over a rock.
It didn’t hurt too badly; she could still walk, though sometimes the wrong movement caused a sharp ache.
Ning Sanlang was terribly worried. He was pained both by his sister’s injury and the thought of her suffering, but even more so by the fear that their father and older brothers would scold and beat her once they returned. So he was extremely cautious and careful, even carrying A wu on his back for a while.
After some time being carried, A wu insisted on walking by herself. Ning Sanlang had no choice but to let her, but he supported her carefully from the side.
Actually, A wu was in a very good mood. Today’s catch was rich—they carried several fish tied up with grass rope and a bag full of fresh sea shrimp. Tonight, they could roast them or stew them into a fresh soup.
She smiled as she shook the grass rope. “San-ge, you don’t have to worry. My foot doesn’t hurt much. Just don’t tell Father and the older brothers when we get back!”
She tilted her head playfully and winked at him. “You and Axia from town have been exchanging glances, haven’t you? Tell me all about it in detail, and I won’t tell Father and big brothers about my twisted ankle!”
Ning Sanlang snorted, his face turning red. “You already know that?”
A wu grinned triumphantly. “Of course! What do you think I could hide from you? That day, Axia kept sneaking glances at you; her face was all red!”
Ning Sanlang stammered, “I don’t want to be with her. I think she’s a bit silly.”
A wu replied, “You have high standards. I think she’s quite nice—and much smarter than you.”
Ning Sanlang retorted, “But I just don’t like her!”
A wu asked, “Then what kind of person do you like?”
As she spoke, a cattle cart appeared by the roadside.
She frowned slightly. The cart looked ordinary at first glance, but something felt off.
She stopped smiling and said to Ning Sanlang, “Forget it, I won’t tell you anymore. Suit yourself. If you can’t find a wife later, don’t blame me for not warning you!”
With that, the two passed by the cattle cart.
But at that moment, as they almost brushed past the cart, A wu suddenly felt a strange sensation.
It was the feeling of being watched from the shadows, of hidden eyes coveting her. Her hair seemed to stand on end, and without realizing it, she stumbled slightly.
Ning Sanlang was startled and quickly caught her. “A wu, what’s wrong? Does your foot hurt? Is it badly hurt?”
A wu’s breath nearly stopped. She couldn’t move her foot—not because of pain, but because of the cattle cart beside her.
Clutching the grass rope in her hand, she slowly turned her head to look.
It was a common local black canopy cattle cart—nothing special. But who would have thought that inside sat a man whose presence could shake the entire Eastern Sea.
She knew he was there, inside the cart. Just a moment ago, through the cart’s black canopy, she had sensed his aura.
His presence was too strong—an almost overwhelming gaze filled with covetousness.
But he hid his greedy emotions well, restraining himself and posing as a scholar in plain blue cloth, seeking her quietly.
He was watching her silently from the shadows.
The intense impact made A wu’s heart sway like seaweed in the ocean, tossing and turning, teasing at her heart, making her restless!
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
Ning Sanlang saw the change in her expression and grew even more worried. “A wu, what’s wrong? Is the pain bad? Should I carry you to town and find a doctor?”
A wu bit her lip and hurriedly said, “San-ge, I’m fine.”
Ning Sanlang was anxious. “What exactly is wrong? Quick, let me carry you back!”
A wu said, “No need.”
At that moment, someone got down from the cattle cart. A somewhat sharp, thin voice rang out: “Miss, are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Listening to the voice, A wu slowly turned her head and saw Futai.
The familiar Futai, who had once walked out from the splendid palace, now stood smiling warmly at her on this remote coastal road.
A wu was stunned for a moment, then a thousand thoughts flooded her mind.
It was Futai, not someone else—very good.
If he had appeared suddenly and faced her directly, she wouldn’t know what to say. She would have panicked and instinctively wanted to avoid him, completely unprepared to face him.
After all, when they parted, they had said all that needed to be said, and things had escalated to that point.
Ning Sanlang, seeing Futai suddenly, looked at him with suspicion and guarded himself and his sister.
But Futai wore a friendly and earnest expression. He said his family had another cattle cart and offered to send the lady home. He also said his friends knew a bit about the art of medicine and asked if she wanted to have her pulse taken.
A wu was about to refuse.
Futai winked hard at her. “We have another cattle cart, another one.”
A wu looked at Futai, wanting to laugh and feeling a bit embarrassed.
After hesitating, she didn’t refuse.
As for the “art of medicine,” that was just the Imperial Physicians’ Institute, definitely no need for that!
Ning Sanlang originally wanted to ignore Futai, but seeing his sister not refusing and seeming unwell, he had no choice but to agree.
Soon, Futai waved his hand, and another cattle cart came. Ning Sanlang helped his sister onto it.
This cattle cart looked ordinary from the outside, but inside it was arranged with care, very comfortable to sit in!
A wu sat inside the cart and looked through the window toward the first cattle cart, which was slowly moving away in the opposite direction.
Thinking of that intense gaze she had just felt, a flood of feelings rose in her heart: hope, unease, fear, and the urge to avoid.
She also remembered how he appeared in a blue robe and cloth clothes in her courtyard, and felt her heart soften.
After all, this man was very tempting!
At this moment, Emperor Jingxi lazily leaned against the wooden railing of the carriage, a rolled-up scripture resting on his lap, but his gaze never left A wu a short distance away.
The seaside sky was always too clear and bright, making the sun shine glaringly.
Under the dazzling sunlight, she looked translucent and fair, hopping with the grass rope in hand like a lively white-feathered bird on the beach.
As she passed the carriage, Emperor Jingxi even noticed a faint rosy glow on her translucent, pale cheeks.
She was fresh and innocent, full of vitality, smiling as she passed by him.
The Emperor smelled the salty sea air mixed with her youthful sweetness, and of course, he heard the intimate, joyful conversation between her and her brother.
After Futai got down, the Emperor remained still.
He rested his forehead against the rough window frame of the carriage, his tea-colored eyes fixed intently on her.
He had come this far; he knew clearly that having arrived at the Eastern Sea, he would not return empty-handed.
He was determined, willing to pay any price, and had enough patience.
He knew this little thing’s temperament very well. She wouldn’t be fond of someone who came to her easily, so he had to quietly plan and proceed carefully.
Besides, she must be wavering now, so he gave her time to think things through slowly.
As Emperor Jingxi thought this, his gaze remained fixed on that graceful figure in the distance.
She climbed into the cattle cart, bent slightly, her long eyelashes lifted, and she glanced subtly back before swiftly turning away.
A faint smile curved Emperor Jingxi’s lips.
***
As soon as they returned home, Ning family’s older brothers were shocked.
They insisted on hiring a doctor for her and sincerely thanked Futai and the cart driver.
Ning Yinhua and the others could tell at a glance that Futai was no ordinary person and did not dare to be negligent.
Futai was exceptionally humble, addressing Ning Yinhua as “Sir Ning” and speaking respectfully.
Ning Yinhua thanked him and sent him off. A wu also accompanied him partway and could feel Futai sneaking glances at her.
She shot him a threatening glare.
Futai quickly withdrew his gaze.
This little ancestral spirit, who dares to provoke her!
After Futai left, the family gathered in the room, asking, “Who was that?”
A wu replied, “Just a kind person.”
Ning Yinhua said, “That’s no ordinary person; he’s a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, isn’t he?”
A wu, hearing this, admitted, “He used to be a Pen-Bearing Eunuch but retired due to illness. He served by the Emperor’s side and has now returned to the Directorate of Ceremonial.”
Ning Erlang and Ning Sanlang didn’t feel anything special—they didn’t understand.
Ning Dalang was shocked. A Pen-Bearing Eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial was a powerful figure.
But he quickly realized that since the Emperor was here, having a powerful eunuch present made sense.
The Emperor called his brothers “big brother, second brother, third brother,” so the eunuch showing humility was even more normal!
At this point, Ning Dalang truly understood that the Emperor clearly intended to marry their sister and was showing humility to express sincerity.
Ning Yinhua was even more aware—the powerful eunuch’s attitude actually reflected the Emperor’s own.
Seeing their daughter glare at the eunuch so fiercely, he realized she was still faring well in the palace. Even the powerful eunuch by the Emperor’s side had to tread carefully around her.
He also recalled the news from overseas: how the Emperor doted on his Imperial Noble Consort, who had given birth to the Longfeng Twins, and how the Emperor had issued an Imperial Edict of General Amnesty, among other things.
Honestly, the Emperor did care about his youngest daughter.
But the differences in their statuses and her complicated past created barriers, and she had many emotional knots to unravel.
Ning Yinhua said little and instead instructed his sons to warm some snacks for A wu.
At first, A wu paid little mind and was more focused on her fish and shrimp, eager to eat them later.
But at dinner, she was surprised to see Osmanthus Taro Milk Cake.
This kind of snack was not available locally; Osmanthus didn’t grow here, and neither did taro. Ordinary people could hardly get milk either!
As for the recipe and the flower-shaped decoration, it was unmistakably familiar. Not even the marketplaces in the Imperial Capital could make such a delicacy.
This could only be the work of the Imperial Kitchen—the very snack she loved most during her pregnancy!
She stared in disbelief at Ning Yinhua. “Father, this?”
He said calmly, “Eat.”
A wu was puzzled. “How… how is this possible? Where did it come from?”
Even if the Emperor sent it, milk, osmanthus, taro, and the Imperial Kitchen—how could these be produced here? If made in the Imperial Capital and brought here, wouldn’t it have spoiled over the long journey?
Ning Yinhua understood her reaction. She loved the snack and had often eaten it before.
His daughter was delicate and spoiled since childhood. The family always pampered her, never willing to deny her anything.
But this place was so remote; what she could enjoy here wasn’t even comparable to the splendor of the Imperial Capital, much less what the man who ruled the world could give her.
The once delicate and naive youngest daughter had been through many things outside—had a husband, had been pregnant, had even been carefully cherished by a powerful man who dressed her in brocade and jade, gave her rich experiences, and taught her patiently.
That man never flaunted his wealth openly but started from unnoticed details—impossible-to-find calligraphy copybooks, the seemingly ordinary yet painstakingly made Osmanthus Taro Milk Cake.
Ning Yinhua even thought that if things dragged on, that man had enough patience to continue showering her with gifts endlessly.
So he relayed Emperor Jingxi’s words exactly: “He brought it. Before leaving, he said it was made fresh this morning with ingredients and chefs from the Imperial Capital. He said to warm it up when you return, don’t save it for tomorrow or it won’t be fresh.”
A wu listened, stammering and blushing, finally muttering, “I… I’m not that greedy! No, I’m not!”
The four men heard this and, seeing the shy annoyance on A wu’s face, understood quite well.
Ning Sanlang hesitated, then leaned over. “Is it good?”
A wu said, “Of course it’s good. It’s milk cake, with milk added.”
She took a bite. Delicious—fragrant, soft, sticky, and sweet, just like before!
Ning Sanlang said, “Good, A wu, give San-ge a taste.”
A wu tilted her head, looked him over, then stuffed a piece directly into his mouth. “Only one for you!”
She said this and then held the plate out to the other brothers.
Back in her room, A wu thought over the day’s events and felt restless—perhaps… emotionally confused?
She had to admit that returning home and regaining everything that belonged to her brought peace to her heart, allowing her to calmly reflect on all that had passed between her and him.
Could she really let go of the past?
Thinking too much, she absentmindedly caressed the jade thumb ring in her palm, imagining the man’s gaze and thoughts, making her heart race and her mind restless.
She wished he weren’t the Emperor—she would just give him a thousand gold coins straight away…
At that thought, a helpless sob escaped her throat, and she hurriedly covered her flushed face, determined not to think about it any longer.
What surprised A wu even more was that the man disappeared after that—no sign of him for four or five days. Only fresh snacks arrived daily.
Although the snacks were delicious, A wu still felt a tightness in her chest, thinking the man was utterly uninteresting.
Still a man, hiding and skulking around! Bah!
Who knew that at lunch one day, Ning Yinhua suddenly said, “The Eastern Sea is about to go to war.”
A wu looked at her father in surprise.
The Ning brothers were also shocked and quickly asked, “Who are we fighting? The Maritime Bandits? Or Lu Yunjian?”
Ning Yinhua said, “The entire Zhen’an Marquis Manor gang has turned to banditry, lingering around Luning. Recently, they’ve frequently raided the coastal areas. The people cannot endure it anymore, so the Emperor is leading an Imperial Expedition in person, commanding troops and naval ships, encircling the key islands of Luning, directly approaching the enemy ships, cutting off the bandits’ water routes, and waiting for the right moment to launch a land and sea attack simultaneously.”
A wu said, “The Imperial Expedition?”
She had guessed that Emperor Jingxi came to the Eastern Sea to personally eliminate Lu Yunjian and quell the Maritime Bandits’ unrest, but she thought the Imperial Expedition meant others fought at sea while the Emperor stayed safely in camp, issuing commands.
Hearing her father’s words, she realized the Emperor was going to lead the troops himself.
This was…
A wu also remembered the Imperial Son was currently governing the Imperial Capital. What did that mean? If something happened to her, and the Imperial Son ascended the throne, what about her son? What about her daughter?
She suddenly felt angry. What on earth was that man thinking?
Ning Yinhua looked deeply at his daughter and naturally saw the worry on her face.
He sighed silently in his heart and continued, “Yesterday, while you were out, Mr. Futai came to visit and mentioned something for you all to consider.”
A wu and her brothers were all surprised. “What?”
Ning Yinhua explained that the bandits were hiding in Luning, where the islands were scattered and the terrain complex, requiring residents who were excellent swimmers and familiar with local waters as guides.
At this, the Ning brothers immediately understood something and exchanged excited looks.
Lu Yunjian had slaughtered their entire village and occupied their sister. They hated him with all their hearts.
They knew as ordinary fishermen they’d never have a chance to kill Lu Yunjian and avenge their sister, but now that the Emperor was besieging the bandits, if they could act as guides, they could contribute to the hunt for Lu Yunjian!
Ning Yinhua saw the eagerness in his sons’ eyes and said knowingly, “If you want, you may go.”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.