Chapter 101: The Choice to Advance or Retreat

That day, A wu was packing her things when Ning Yinhua came over, wanting to talk with her.  

A wu lowered her head.  

Ning Yinhua got straight to the point: “A wu, what are you thinking?”  

A wu replied, “I don’t know either.”  

Ning Yinhua said, “Now that the Emperor has graciously come down in status and given your several brothers such an opportunity, the meaning couldn’t be clearer. Once the pirate issue is settled, you will have to make a decision.”  

Listening to this, A wu felt a pang in her heart.

“I can’t bear to leave you all. I just got back. I still want to stay here and live out my life like this.”  

Ning Yinhua silently looked at A wu.  

Suddenly, A wu burst into tears and threw herself into Ning Yinhua’s arms, “I don’t want to leave you! Father!”  

Ning Yinhua held his daughter, gently soothing her and sighed, “If you really don’t want to, there’s no reason to force you. If it comes to that, I have only you, my daughter. For you, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do. But I fear that in your heart, you’re still thinking of him, unwilling to let go. You’re just hesitant to take the step for various reasons, maybe even acting out of anger in the moment, only to regret it later. That’s something I, as your father, do not want to see.”  

A wu cried deeply in her father’s embrace.

Ning Yinhua patiently comforted her, and after a while, she finally calmed down and told Ning Yinhua everything in detail: how she had overheard everything, how she had angrily tried to claim the ring but was denied, how she demanded the Crown Prince’s position and was refused, which led to the conflict escalating.

Then he had tried to appease her, but soon after, trouble struck at the Zhen’an Marquis Manor.

The Empress pressed hard, and in the chaos, she lost her footing and killed the Empress.

With Princess Dening’s help, she fled.

After that, everything spiraled out of control.  

Ning Yinhua listened silently for a long moment.  

He naturally knew his daughter had been wronged, but only roughly until now.

Hearing her detailed account as a father was like a knife stabbing his heart.

He hated only that he had been too careless before—he had not accompanied his wife in her last moments and let his young daughter endure all this alone.  

He silently embraced his daughter, gently comforting her.

In this comfort, A wu gradually settled down.  

Then Ning Yinhua said, “But A wu, I still have to tell you—it’s my fault. It’s your brother’s fault for not protecting you well enough.”  

A wu was stunned.  

Ning Yinhua said, “He is the Emperor. He should be the father to all under heaven, protecting his people. But the world is vast, and the situation with the Eastern Sea is complex, not something resolved overnight. If someone must be held accountable, it should be the Zhen’an Marquis Manor, the late Emperor, not him.”  

A wu asked, “What about after?”  

Ning Yinhua replied, “Before you were taken into the harem, he was still an Emperor who ruled diligently, obeyed laws, and was conscientious—a man I read about in vast tomes and imperial writings. But he unintentionally made a grave mistake—an illicit affair with his son’s concubine. If he wanted to cover it up, he would have had to kill you.”  

When he spoke of this, Ning Yinhua’s tone was calm, but deep inside, he was frightened.  

He had studied for years, passed imperial exams, and could read the mind of an Emperor to some extent.

He couldn’t imagine, had he not known the outcome, how his daughter could have escaped alive from such a situation.  

If anything had happened to her—  

He sighed heavily inside.

From this point alone, the fact that his daughter lived was already a blessing.  

A wu was silent, absorbing his words.  

She vaguely felt her father was right.

All her grievances, the bitterness before entering the palace—who was really to blame?

Blaming the Emperor entirely didn’t seem right.

If she hadn’t shared intimacy with him, she probably wouldn’t have even dared to blame him.  

After all, he was the Emperor.

She was just a concubine presented to his son, and there were ulterior motives.

From his perspective, she couldn’t blame him.  

Now, her resentment came only because she knew he cared for her and would tolerate her, so she vented all at once.  

She was still a bit hurt and muttered softly, “So what exactly does Father mean? Am I not allowed to blame him?”  

Ning Yinhua lovingly patted her back: “You’re my daughter. If you were wronged, if you didn’t have a good life, that’s my fault. If it weren’t for your involvement with him, truly no one else could be blamed.”  

A wu listened and partly agreed, but still found it hard to reconcile in her mind.  

Ning Yinhua said, “A wu, I just hope that when it comes to the crucial decision, you won’t lose the bigger picture over small grievances. Don’t lose what you should have over a moment’s bitterness or stubbornness.”  

A wu listened quietly.  

Ning Yinhua said, “As for the Crown Prince position—A wu, if he were now to defy all opposition and recklessly place the Second Prince as Crown Prince, how would you feel inside?”  

A wu was stunned.  

At this point, recalling the past, she knew that when she had cried and demanded it, she had been panicked and chaotic.

If she truly wanted to fight for the Second Prince’s position, it wouldn’t have been like that.

So Futai was right.  

At that time, she had just given birth a few months earlier, heard the tragic news from home, suffered various blows, and was overwhelmed with grief.

After leaving the capital and Emperor Jingxi, she stopped thinking about it.  

Now that her father brought it up, if the Second Prince were Crown Prince, she definitely would not have been able to rest.  

After all, there was a powerful elder prince ignored in favor of a baby barely babbling.  

If the child had an accident or behaved inadequately, not only she but even Emperor Jingxi would face huge criticism.  

And there was another problem—if the Crown Prince were deposed, how would he be handled?  

If he were killed, how could she bear it?

If the Emperor executed his own son, she would be heartbroken too.  

If he weren’t killed, wherever he was placed would inevitably spark court gossip, and some ministers might even incite the Crown Prince to plot for the future.  

Ning Yinhua said, “A wu, the Crown Prince position is a long-term matter, not something decided overnight. The current Crown Prince has held the position for a long time and is seventeen years older than the Second Prince. If you easily deposed and replaced him, it would throw the court into chaos. One wrong move, and you become a sinner remembered for ages. The court is full of scheming and intrigue. No matter how much the Emperor favors someone, he wouldn’t risk the wrath of the world for his own private reasons.”  

A wu knew her father was right and lowered her head.  

Ning Yinhua looked at the tears in his daughter’s eyes and said, “A wu, today I’m telling you this, maybe it’s too harsh. You might think I’m blinded by someone else’s wealth and power, speaking for them and putting pressure on you?”  

A wu sniffled and muttered, “I would never think that…”  

No matter what, she trusted her father wanted what was best for her.

She also realized that he was right.  

It was just that she was swayed by small emotions, irrational and unwilling, venting all her anger on him.

But her father wouldn’t do that.  

He was judging the matter with a cooler, clearer mind.  

Ning Yinhua said, “So I want to lay everything out clearly, so you can make the decision yourself—whether to advance or retreat.”  

A wu wiped her tears, “If I advance, then what? If I retreat, then what?”  

Ning Yinhua said, “If you retreat, once the Emperor returns victorious, I will have a plan to keep you here in the Eastern Sea.”  

A wu was doubtful: “Is that possible?”  

Ning Yinhua said, “If we fight hard enough, why not? But from then on, you can never marry again—you will only stay at home.”  

Since the Emperor secretly arrived in the Eastern Sea, Ning Yinhua had known in his heart that Ye Han and his daughter could never be together again.  

A wu could either follow Emperor Jingxi back or stay here, cared for by her father and brothers.  

That man seemed gentle and tolerant, but in truth, it was a forced humility to win over the daughter.

Ning Yinhua, who had studied for over ten years and deeply understood the Emperor’s governing methods, could easily guess the Emperor’s nature—such a man would never easily give up.  

The reason Ning Yinhua could even mention “retreat” was because he believed he could gamble on the Emperor’s pity for his daughter, and the lingering guilt deep inside his heart.  

So now Ning Yinhua spoke these words to his daughter.  

A wu listened to her father and was silent for a while.

Then she asked, “If I advance, then what?”  

Ning Yinhua said, “If you advance, I will find a way to reclaim your grievances for you and plan tirelessly for you to fight for the Crown Prince position for the Second Prince in fifteen years.”  

A wu was shocked.

She looked at her father: “Father…”  

Ning Yinhua looked warmly at his daughter and said, “But during these fifteen years, you must not say a single word about this to anyone. You must behave, keep a low profile, and wait patiently. When the time is right, you will strike with full force.”  

Hearing this, A wu pondered deeply.

Unknown to her, more than half a year ago, the Duke of England had spoken similarly to the Crown Princess about keeping a low profile.  

She lowered her head in thought, then looked at her father.

“Father, so you will come with me to the capital?”  

She remembered Emperor Jingxi saying he would give her father and brothers official posts.  

Ning Yinhua shook his head, “Of course not. I will stay here.”  

A wu was a little disappointed.  

Ning Yinhua looked at her affectionately: “Silly girl, I will help you. No matter when, I will be your backing. But I will not serve in the court, nor will your brothers. The Great Hui has always been wary of powerful in-laws. Our Ning Family must not break this taboo.”  

A wu asked, “Then—”  

Ning Yinhua said, “I spent three years traveling abroad, learning much and gaining insights I never had before. With the rise of navigation, frequent trade with Western barbarians, Frangqi’s occupation of southern countries, and Anneliya’s ambitions on Britannia, our Great Hui, though strong and vast, is only just beginning its ventures beyond the mainland. In my humble opinion, if Great Hui wants to surpass the ancients, we must master the seas, build ocean-going ships, dominate the South Seas, bypass Malacca, and reach the Caribbean Sea.”  

A wu was deeply moved.  

She suddenly recalled the night in Emperor Jingxi’s study when she saw a map called the Complete Map of the World.

It was a square map, but the countries within were elliptical.

It vaguely showed Anneliya, Bolini, and Sikeqiya, and the Emperor had pointed to that area with particular concern.  

So, what her father said matched Emperor Jingxi’s worries.  

Ning Yinhua said, “A wu, no matter what you choose, your father and brothers have some duties to fulfill. That way, our lives will not have been in vain. But your choice will determine our tasks. No matter what, if your family can open new sea routes, expand navigation, travel abroad, and raise the prestige of Great Hui, wouldn’t that be better than serving officials at court, where you are constrained? This will be your future support.”  

A wu listened, tears flowing down her cheeks.

She couldn’t help but throw herself into Ning Yinhua’s arms. “Father…”  

She had long harbored resentment toward her father and brothers for their absence, but now she vaguely understood and finally found peace.  

Ning Yinhua gently embraced and comforted his daughter.  

After some time, A wu stopped sobbing and quietly asked, “Then Father, what do you think? Should I advance or retreat?”  

Ning Yinhua listened to his daughter’s soft, dependent voice and sighed inwardly.  

He knew the world was ever-changing and that the little girl he once held was now a married woman.

As a father, his feelings were complicated.

Emperor Jingxi was a man he had once admired deeply after years of study, someone he longed to meet, and a peer to himself.  

He couldn’t imagine how his pure, innocent daughter became entangled with such a scheming man…  

But he suppressed all those emotions and said, “It’s up to you. I cannot decide for you.”  

A wu was at a loss for words.

Inside, she was confused.  

In the quiet of night these days, she often thought of the two children in the palace.

She loved Emperor Jingxi too.

He had done so much for her.

How could she not be moved by a man who held all power but was gentle and patient with her?  

Besides, setting that aside, his appearance and temperament were enough to captivate anyone.  

But there was indeed too much between them—the past disputes between the Emperor and his sons, her history with Lu Yunjian, their age gap, the inequalities forced by their differing statuses and experiences.  

Now, how should she choose?

Could she let go of her grudges?

And if she went back, what would the outcome be?  

After a long time, A wu murmured, “Father, if I return, what are the chances for my child…?”  

Ning Yinhua said, “A wu, when you ask him, and he doesn’t answer, it’s because he doesn’t know either. The previous dynasty also had an Emperor who replaced his heir for a favored concubine, but it sparked chaos in the court. He certainly favors you, but he is still the Emperor of Great Hui. He must think of the realm and the people. He won’t easily promise you a thing.”  

From this, Ning Yinhua understood Emperor Jingxi—a man steeped in politics for over a decade.

Every decision he makes affects the realm’s future.

He indulges, but he also restrains himself.  

He paused, then said, “So, A wu, when you ask me, I have to tell you—I don’t know either. Nothing is certain. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate.”  

A wu lowered her head without a word.  

Ning Yinhua said, “There’s no rush. Take your time to think.”  

He looked out the window toward the distant sea and said slowly, “Besides, we must wait.”  

Wait for the revered Emperor to be willing to pay the price to reconcile.