On the day Emperor Jingxi came to wed, a thousand warships were arrayed over the Eastern Sea.
Each vessel was adorned with red silk ribbons, colorful banners fluttering in the wind.
On the leading dozens of ships, lantern mountains and festive gates were set up, their splendor interweaving with embroidered brilliance, shimmering with golden radiance.
Amidst the crashing waves and the beating of drums and gongs, colorful birds fluttered above the sea surface, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring spectacle that stirred the onlookers to cheers and amazement.
This wedding ceremony was attended not only by civil and military officials and members of the Imperial Family of Dahui but also by maritime nations such as Siam, Johor, Temasek, Lu Song, and Java.
Even the distant Franks from Great Britain had come to present their congratulations.
Since Emperor Jingxi’s previous campaign, when Great Hui’s warships had decisively defeated the Frankish ships and captured over a hundred Frankish Maritime Bandits, the maritime nations had been deeply impressed.
Now, witnessing in person the grandeur of Great Hui’s warships and the thunder of their naval cannons during the ceremony, they were even more awed and pledged their allegiance.
After the Eastern Sea wedding procession, Ning Yinhua sent off A wu with his three sons and Yehan, escorting her across a thousand miles to the Imperial Capital, where the wedding was consummated.
At last, A wu ascended to the pinnacle of womanhood with unprecedented splendor since the founding of the Great Hui Dynasty, taking her place in the central palace.
The magnificent wedding and the post-ceremony banquet, receiving the bows from both internal and external consorts, kept A wu busy and spinning.
Joyful, novel, yet exhausting.
Though less than a year had passed, so much had happened.
She still remembered how, in the harem, she had been immersed in the joy of giving birth to twins, only for many conflicts and misunderstandings to erupt between her and Emperor Jingxi afterward.
In a fit of rage, she had nearly harmed the infants.
Then the golden hairpin finally turned against the Empress, forcing her to flee in panic.
Afterward came the escape with Yehan, the hardships along the way.
On that cold river day, she and Yehan had spent the night on a solitary boat crossing the chilly waters.
Once ashore, Yehan held her hand as they ran through the reeds.
She had hurriedly glanced back at the black figure beneath a bamboo hat, feeling it was Nie San.
Soon after, Fang Yue caught up, then Emperor Jingxi, at which point she collapsed into his arms and lost her memory.
Looking back now, she recalled how after regaining her memory bit by bit, she still feigned ignorance and made things difficult for him.
He silently guarded her and cared for her in countless ways.
Though she seemed resolute, deep down she was moved.
Later, he traveled a thousand miles to the Eastern Sea, humbling himself.
A man with such power, so alluring in appearance, skilled in every way—how could she not be drawn to him?
Now, he had entrusted her with control over the hundred treasure ships of the Eastern Sea, managed on her behalf by her father and brothers.
The merchant fleet was required to remit two types of profits: one part as tax revenue to the National Treasury, the other as rent to her, providing her with immense yearly income.
From then on, her family and Brother Ye Han would jointly operate the Eastern Sea merchant fleet, traveling the world, opening the Silk Road of the Sea, expanding Great Hui’s commercial territories, while she would enjoy an unending stream of profits.
This arrangement was the best for the Dahui court, for her family, and for herself.
As she pondered this, a palace lady came to report that the Second Prince and the Little Princess had woken up.
Hearing this, A wu hurriedly said, “Bring them here.”
Outside, the sky had grown cool, but the palace’s heated floors radiated warmth.
Soft mats were spread on the ground, and the two little ones, now a full year old, crawled around in bright red velvet garments, plump and adorable.
A wu’s heart blossomed with joy at the sight, her fondness almost overflowing.
She kissed the Little Princess, held the Little Prince close, cooing, “Baby, baby.”
The two little ones were equally delighted, their soft little hands reaching out to her, babbling in baby talk.
A wu smiled and said, “Quick, say ‘Mother Empress’!”
But the toddlers had no idea what that meant—they were only one year old and could not speak yet.
They just smiled and giggled, tugging at A wu’s hair with determined little hands.
A wu gently caught the restless hands, her voice soft and childlike, “Did you miss me while I was away?”
Perhaps because she was talking to babies, her tone was gentle and tender.
Yet the toddlers babbled on as if not understanding a word.
A wu hummed, “Not listening, huh? If you don’t miss me, you’re truly naughty little things!”
She laughed at herself for sounding like Emperor Jingxi, finding it amusing.
Then she wondered: when the Emperor said such things, did he feel just as fond?
A sweet warmth blossomed in her chest, making her feel giddy inside.
Lost in thought, she suddenly noticed the two crawling toward the edge of the mat.
The palace ladies tried to pick them up, but one-year-olds had stubborn streaks; they fussed and resisted, crawling onward with determination.
A wu raised an eyebrow and warned, “Come back, or I’ll spank your little bottoms!”
She raised her palm in mock threat.
To her surprise, the babies weren’t scared but smiled brightly at her.
A palace lady nearby chuckled, “The Little Prince thinks the Empress is just playing with him.”
At that moment, the Little Princess found the game amusing too, and while the palace lady was distracted, she slipped away, crawling swiftly.
A wu: !!!
‘They’ve turned the tables on me!’
She quickly rose, caught the Little Princess, ordered the palace ladies to seize the Little Prince, then gave their little bottoms three gentle pats.
She wasn’t harsh—after all, they were soft and tender babies.
The main point was to discipline them, to teach them a lesson.
But who would have thought that instead of feeling hurt, the two little ones blinked wide-eyed and laughed even harder, arching their little bottoms as if inviting more play!
A wu was both exasperated and amused, reaching out to rub the tiny bottoms, marveling at their softness.
It was almost too tempting not to spank them again!
The palace ladies laughed heartily.
At that moment, Weilan entered.
Weilan had already been assigned to the Shanggong Bureau as a Female Historian.
As head of the bureau, she oversaw the Six Departments, managing the Commandments and Punishments.
Once a palace lady by the Empress’s side, Weilan had been promoted and was now well regarded with a bright future ahead.
Weilan remained by A wu’s side and had recently been promoted to Palace Lady.
Seeing the two sisters both advancing in their careers, Weilan couldn’t help but smile at the playful Little Prince and Little Princess.
“Your Majesty, the little ones are quite mischievous and hard to manage. Now that you are here, perhaps you can keep them in line.”
A wu glanced at her with mock helplessness. “Are you teasing me?”
Weilan laughed all the more.
When A wu was a lowly Imperial Noble Lady, she was always kind to her palace ladies, and even now, as a central palace consort, she was beginning to assert authority—but still gentle to old attendants, who never took advantage of her favor.
Soon the two children were picked up to be fed some porridge.
A wu watched as the wet nurse fed them, and the toddlers suddenly became well behaved, eating heartily spoonful by spoonful.
Afterwards, A wu played with them a while longer, speaking softly and encouraging them to say “Mother Empress.”
But they were just fooling around, not speaking a word, though their smiles were abundant.
When they laughed, clear saliva dribbled down their rosy little mouths.
A wu sighed, “How silly you both are.”
The wet nurse quickly wiped them clean, explaining, “The Little Princess and Little Prince are teething now, so drooling is natural.”
Curious, A wu gently held the Little Princess’s chubby cheeks and said, “Open your mouth.”
Obediently, the Little Princess opened wide, revealing eight tiny teeth emerging from tender gums—small, white, and pointed, freshly sprouted.
A wu inspected closely and saw a new sharp tooth poking out in the corner.
She marveled, “Like spring grass pushing up through the earth.”
Amused, she watched as the Little Prince, unwilling to be outdone, pressed forward, using his little bottom to nudge the Little Princess aside.
A wu wondered what he was up to when he babbled and opened his mouth as if asking her to look at his teeth too.
Everyone burst out laughing at such a tiny child already competing for the Empress’s affection—such a little schemer!
Meanwhile, Emperor Jingxi had finished his court affairs and returned to the rear palace.
As he passed through a long corridor, he noticed the wintersweet in bloom.
Clusters of pale golden petals decorated the twisting, sturdy branches, releasing a subtle fragrance carried by the breeze.
He recalled how countless times he had walked this corridor before, his mind burdened with court matters, memorials, and the vast lands under his rule.
But now, he felt changed.
He longed to return to the rear palace—his home, with his wife and children.
Thinking of A wu and the little ones, his heart softened endlessly.
Though well into his thirties and enjoying supreme power, he realized that only now was his life truly complete.
A faint smile played at his lips as he entered the rear palace.
He changed out of his ceremonial robes in the side hall and washed before entering the bedchamber.
As he stepped in, he saw the two little ones crawling on A wu’s lap like playful puppies.