Emperor Jingxi was in the prime of his youth, naturally strong and robust.
After several days of recuperation, his complexion looked much improved. Â
A wu saw this and thought to herself that originally she had come because he was unconscious, but who would have known that upon her arrival he would awaken, and afterward show no serious ailments.
Now, he appears fully recovered. Â
She felt she should return home first; otherwise, staying here without a clear reason felt meaningless.
Yet she wanted to ask about Lu Yunjian, hoping to test Emperor Jingxi a little.
Unexpectedly, in these past two days, Emperor Jingxi had suddenly become busy, attending meetings with the commanders guarding the coastal towns, inspecting coastal defenses, familiarizing himself with the local customs, and receiving maritime merchants returning from distant voyages.
Having not seen Emperor Jingxi for two consecutive days, A wu simply told Futai she intended to leave.
Futai called her “Your Majesty” again and again, coaxing her not to go.
“If you leave, Your Majesty, the emperor might want my head — what am I supposed to do then?” Â
A wu smiled: “Whose head would he cut? Certainly not yours!”
She was teasing him.
Futai’s coaxing was somewhat effective, so A wu stayed for the time being.
That evening, Emperor Jingxi hosted a banquet to reward the soldiers stationed at the Coastal Defense Post, among whom were the three Ning brothers and Yehan.
Yehan did not deliberately refuse the invitation; in the presence of Emperor Jingxi, he remained composed.
It was clear that after this matter, everyone tacitly understood that Yehan and A wu’s engagement would no longer be mentioned.
Yehan had stepped back, retreating to the same status as the three Ning brothers. Â
It had cooled off.
When Yehan and the others bowed to thank the emperor for his generous favor, Emperor Jingxi’s gaze merely swept over them lightly.
He understood clearly that this man left a mark in A wu’s heart.
That mark was something he would not touch.
Over time, it would naturally fade. Â
But if he forcibly tried to erase it, it would only provoke A wu’s displeasure, causing that mark to grow heavier with resistance.
So now, he treated Yehan no differently from the three Ning brothers.
By the end of the banquet, all participants in the battle received rewards and were happy, except the three Ning brothers and Yehan, who were temporarily left unrewarded.
Onlookers somewhat understood—these men were no ordinary figures and were likely to be entrusted with important responsibilities, so the rewards were withheld for now. Â
After the banquet ended late at night, A wu saw that the brothers and Yehan had been drinking and grew worried about Emperor Jingxi.
Ning Sanlang scratched his head and said, “They’ve been drinking, huh?”
Ning Dalang nodded, “Looks like it.”
Hearing this, A wu was annoyed.
He was just recovering from a serious illness, and now that he was finally better, he still had to drink?
Did he want to die young? Â
In truth, if he died, no one would care much.
But she had to think of her own two children—so young and fatherless.
Would they be bullied in the future? Â
She was furious and decided that when she saw him next, she would act grumpy, scold him, make him uncomfortable, even furious enough to scold him to death!
Just then, an attendant arrived, saying the emperor requested her presence.
‘Requested?’
A wu asked in confusion, “For what?”
The attendant bowed respectfully and said he did not know.
If Futai were here, A wu would definitely pull him aside to inquire, but without Futai, she didn’t want to make a scene in front of other attendants and decided to follow quietly.
She followed the attendant along the stone path, still wondering.
Upon reaching the foot of the city wall, she saw the bright moon hanging high, the autumn breeze gentle.
Lanterns hung aloft cast a cold light on the mottled bricks of the city wall. Â
Looking out, the coastal defense fortifications stretched in winding undulations, extending far into the distance.
Moving closer, she suddenly saw Emperor Jingxi.
Beneath the majestic city wall, officers stood lined up.
Emperor Jingxi wore a simple, elegant blue robe, walking with his hands behind his back, exuding natural grace. Â
From afar, he spotted her and raised his eyebrows with a faint smile.
A wu was momentarily stunned, her heart skipping a beat.
The moonlight was thin, the city wall mottled, the distant sound of waves crashing in her ears.
That man, his black hair tied high, white headband, blue robe, clear and handsome, was smiling directly at her.
No skilled painter could capture the brilliance this man radiated at this moment.
She clenched her fists tightly, forcing down the nearly overwhelming affection swelling in her chest, and walked toward him with an unhappy expression.
Emperor Jingxi took a cloak from an attendant nearby and draped it over her shoulders.
The cloak was quite large—men’s wear—almost reaching her heels.
He smiled softly, “A wu, do you want to grow a bit taller?”
A wu snorted, not even sparing him a glance.
He watched her pout and puff her cheeks, looking adorably stubborn and sulky.
He couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling his heart soften completely.
Having regained his health, he had arranged a nonstop day of activities, ending with a banquet to reward the coastal defense soldiers.
He didn’t feel tired but had grown somewhat cold and stern after seeing so much armor and warships, hearing those cold, hard numbers. Â
Now, seeing her obstinate, sulking face, he felt his entire being soften and come alive again.
He took her wrist gently and coaxed softly, “Who made A wu unhappy?”
She gave him a lazy sideways glance, “You! Of course, it’s you!”
Emperor Jingxi led her toward the city tower, “How did I upset you?”
A wu said flatly, “How could you not upset me?”
He paused, turned to look at her tenderly, “Are you mad at me? Tell me, what’s really wrong?”
His gaze was more moving than the moonlight.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she said, “May I ask, tonight when Your Majesty rewarded the meritorious generals, was the celebration exuberant?” Â
Emperor Jingxi tested her, “So?”
She looked at him seriously, “Actually, I was just thinking about something.”
Emperor Jingxi asked, “What?”
A wu replied, “If someone drinks after a serious illness and damages their health, dying early, I have to think about what kind of firecrackers I’d light to celebrate.”
Emperor Jingxi glanced around, then furrowed his brows and said helplessly, “A wu is mad at me. No matter what you say, I won’t be angry, but next time, keep it down a little.”
A wu thought about it and suddenly felt guilty.
She looked at the officers and Dragon Guards outside, “Can they hear us?”
Emperor Jingxi frowned, “Probably… can’t hear, right?”
A wu felt somewhat worried, but mostly she just blamed him, “It’s all your fault!”
He gripped her wrist, smiling as he accepted her scolding, “Yes, it’s my fault.”
With his kind temperament, as if capable of accepting everything, A wu’s anger dissipated.
She said earnestly, “It’s not that I want to say anything, but you should think about Mo Yu and Mo Xi, right?”
Unexpectedly, after she said this, he remained silent.
A wu looked at him in puzzlement.
Under the night sky, his dark brown eyes quietly fixed on her. Â
Just as she wondered, he suddenly smiled, looping his arm through hers, “Come, let’s go up to the city tower.”
A wu was inexplicably curious but followed him up the steps.
This city tower was built facing the sea, magnificent and towering, steeped in history.
Once on top, one could see the night view of the sea.
At this late hour, the bright moon hung high.
The vast ocean stretched endlessly, dreamlike and surreal. Â
The slightly salty sea breeze blew gently, waves surged, crashing against the city wall below, splashing silver-white spray.
Looking far into the distance, the warships of the Coastal Defense Post stood majestic and enormous, towering like mountains, mysteriously looming on the dark sea.
A wu was somewhat awestruck.
Emperor Jingxi’s slow voice sounded in the night: “These warships are made by the Imperial Shipyard, forty-four zhang long and eighteen zhang wide, grand in design, with four decks, equipped with cannons. Besides these warships, I have also ordered the construction of ocean-going treasure ships. Many treasure ships will be built; they will be fully loaded with goods, sailing from your hometown to Nanyang, to Persia, to Tiaozhi, passing the Cape of Good Hope, reaching Nepal, reaching Frangqi, reaching every corner of the world.”
He turned his head toward A wu, “So, your hometown may become the gateway to the Great Hui Territory, the richest place in all of Dahui.”
The night was enticing; his voice was soft, like a dream: “Do you believe it?”
A wu gazed blankly into the cool sea breeze, slowly digesting his words.
Wave after wave rolled in; amid the roaring tides, A wu seemed to see the rise and fall of dynasties, the passing of time, and the world’s changes.
Perhaps in a hundred or two hundred years, they would all turn to dust, completely buried in the vast history books.
Yet at this moment, this man was as brilliant as a red bird skimming the sea surface, leaving a long mark on her heart. Â
Emperor Jingxi lowered his eyes, his voice low and gentle: “That day, I took you to see fireworks, to look at the map of all nations. You spoke happily and eagerly about your hometown, about your family, and I could only listen.”
A wu’s heart overflowed with countless emotions: “Because you knew my home was already submerged.”
He had known all along but did not want to tell her.
Emperor Jingxi said, “Yes, when you spoke of your home and your family, your eyes shone like stars. How could I bear to tell you the truth?”
Fortunately, her family eventually returned, so he could finally give her a happy ending.
A wu felt bittersweet, a tide of sweetness and emotion flowing through her chest.
He had also put thought into her.
No matter what, aside from her family, he was the only one in the world who cared for her so deeply. Â
At that moment, Emperor Jingxi suddenly lowered his head, whispering into her ear: “Earlier, when A wu complained and worried about me, it made me very happy.”
Her heart beat loudly, but she still retorted stubbornly, “I’m not worried about you…”
Emperor Jingxi: “Hmm?”
A wu: “I’m worried that if something happens to you, then my Mo Xi and Mo Yu will have no one to look after them… They will definitely be bullied…”
Perhaps the crashing tides stirred an inexplicable melancholy in her, for by the time she finished speaking, her eyes reddened.
Emperor Jingxi tilted his face slightly, his slender, sharp nose brushing lightly against her cheek, warm and clear breath wafting gently.
He lowered his voice, “What you just said stabbed my heart, deliberately making me feel bad.”
A wu: “How could I deliberately make you feel bad?”
Emperor Jingxi lightly lifted her chin with his fingertips, “Then taste this, see if I’ve been drinking.”
A wu: “You—”
He bent down and slowly, irresistibly sealed her lips with his.
Countless sails rose and fell, waves surged wildly, the man’s kiss was fierce and possessive, his overwhelming breath pouring into her mouth.
She kept retreating, but behind her was the solid city wall, and she had nowhere to go, trapped firmly between him and the wall. Â
Her heart pounded, shy and scared, she quickly pushed him away, “No, don’t!”
She was afraid someone might see them!
Emperor Jingxi, however, picked her up without hesitation, urging her slender legs to wrap around his waist.
A wu clung tightly to his shoulders.
Emperor Jingxi cupped her face, kissing her as he carried her forward, murmuring indistinctly, “There’s no one here.”
Hearing this, A wu suddenly realized that when Emperor Jingxi brought her up to the city tower, the officers and Dragon Guards seemed to have withdrawn.
And now, the tall battlements and the secluded city gate served as the perfect shield, hiding them in darkness where no one could see them.
But they could see the bright moon, the vast sea, and the distant horizon.
Then, the deep voice whispered in her ear, “This city wall, this sea, only belongs to the two of us.”