That evening, Emperor Jingxi did not come to Langhua Hall himself.
Instead, he sent word that urgent state affairs kept him occupied.
A wu was feeling somewhat better herself.
After taking some medicinal food, Princess Dening and Concubine Hui arrived one after another to visit her, bringing various nourishing gifts and keeping her company with light conversation.
But she had little energy, lying listlessly on the couch, staring blankly into the void.
Seeing this, everyone worried about disturbing her rest and took their leave under the pretense of letting her recover.
Later that night, the Empress Dowager specially sent over several tonic remedies, urging her to rest well and warning her “not to strain her heart and mind.”
The next day, Futai arrived carrying a large black lacquered box.
Inside was a jade thumb ring.
A wu took it out and examined it carefully.
It was a thumb ring carved with a pattern of longevity and good fortune, made of Hetian jade.
The jade was warm and smooth, with a rich, polished patina—clearly a rare and exquisite piece.
Running her finger gently over it, she even felt a faint oily texture.
Futai smiled beside her and said, “Your Highness, jade thumb rings worn by men are usually for archery; they have spiral patterns and string grooves inside, so they’re not suitable for you. They wouldn’t look good on you either. Today, His Majesty specially ordered someone to find this one. It’s beautiful and suitable for you. This morning, he even sent it to the True Warrior Great Emperor Temple for a blessing and consecration, to protect Your Highness’s safety.”
A wu looked up at Futai, “Futai, that’s just what he told you to say, isn’t it? You’re just trying to coax me.”
Futai gave an apologetic smile, “Your Highness, you know His Majesty’s nature. He cares deeply for you, but as the true dragon, he has his own ways.”
However, A wu was not pleased to hear this.
It only confirmed her suspicions with a growing sense of despair.
What he could give her was only trifling tokens of favor, insignificant and harmless.
She was utterly unqualified to challenge the favor he gave the Imperial Son!
Because the Imperial Son was his heir, his Country and State.
But she and her children were not.
With a cold sneer, she clenched the jade thumb ring and threw it to the floor.
The jade ring landed on the soft carpet and did not break, but to throw away a gift from the Emperor was a grave disrespect, a tremendous crime.
Futai was startled and quickly knelt down to pick up the ring.
“Your Highness, your Highness! Why do this? Please don’t let anyone see. Pick it up!”
A wu said, “No need to pick it up. Go tell him I threw it away. If he is angry, then just kill me right now. Kill me immediately!”
Futai held his breath and cautiously looked at her.
“Your Highness, what exactly is wrong?”
A wu knew she was acting madly and that this would only bring her trouble.
But she couldn’t help it.
She hated him so much—Emperor Jingxi.
She took a deep breath, struggling to restrain herself.
“Futai, I want to be alone for a while.”
Futai wanted to leave but couldn’t bring himself to move.
He tried to say something to comfort her, “Your Highness, what can Futai do for you?”
His words were warm and well-intentioned.
Hearing them, A wu instantly burst into tears.
She covered her face and cried, “No one can help me. No one! He is so cruel. He won’t give the Imperial Son the throne, and he won’t give me the ring. That liar, he’s not good to me at all. All his promises were nonsense—I actually believed him.”
Futai knelt at her feet and raised his face.
“Your Highness, how can you speak of His Majesty that way? Even if such thoughts cross your mind, they must be kept to yourself. To speak them aloud is a capital offense!”
He lowered his voice and coaxed her, “If the Emperor truly resented you, why would he send Futai to see you? Doesn’t it pain him too? No matter how angry you are, he cares about you.”
A wu sobbed, “I don’t want to hear this anymore. It’s all lies. I don’t care if he cares about me or not. Maybe he only remembers me so he can bury me with him…”
Futai raised his broad hand and gently patted A wu’s delicate shoulder in consolation.
In his soothing pats, she found some small comfort.
It made her think even more of her homeland, of her parents and brothers.
Futai said, “The idea of burying wives with their husbands is pure fiction. That day, it was just a quarrel with the Empress Dowager. Since the founding of Great Hui, there has been no precedent for such a thing.”
But A wu did not believe it.
Futai was only there to patch things up on behalf of Emperor Jingxi.
Seeing this, Futai sighed, “Your Highness, some things I can’t say, but I must mention this. When you entered the palace, it was as a Taoist priestess to accompany His Majesty. You have an official decree at Yan Yang Temple—you are a Spiritual Officer. There is no such thing as burial with the Emperor in Taoism. Let’s say, even if His Majesty were to pass away, you could at least return to Yan Yang Temple.”
A wu thought about it and it did make sense.
It seemed the successive Taoist practitioners in Yan Yang Temple, apart from palace maids who had left, also included some disgraced concubines.
Futai added, “It was the Imperial Son who angered His Majesty that day, which is why he spoke so harshly. Actually, no matter what, as long as you have two children, such a thing can’t happen. That day, even the Empress Dowager scolded the Emperor.”
A wu remained silent.
Futai looked at her earnestly, hinting at more: “Your Highness, the Second Prince… is still young. There is a long road ahead.”
A wu gloomily said, “I know.”
Futai sighed and withdrew his hand.
A wu felt a moment of loss, as if losing some warmth.
At this moment, she harbored an unprecedented yearning—to return to the past, to before any of this had happened.
She was tired.
She wanted to go back to when she was sixteen, to lie down on that young couch and sleep.
Sleep, and still be the A wu of old.
Lu Yunjian, the Imperial Son, Emperor Jingxi—she disliked them all, wishing she could forget them completely.
What did she care about the Empress or the Crown Princess, or all their riches and honors?
She could give them all up!
She also thought of Yehan, who was in a temple on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, actually very close to her.
She wanted so badly to tell him about her current situation—not asking for anything, just for him to know, then hold her.
That alone would be a great comfort.
Futai knelt on the floor, looking at A wu lying on the couch.
“Your Highness, for now, you should focus on recuperating and not overthink things. His Majesty is not truly angry with you. In a few days, when he comes to comfort you, don’t bring up this matter. Just let it pass.”
A wu said, “Futai, I understand.”
Futai carefully picked up the discarded thumb ring and placed it on a nearby tray.
Then he looked toward her, “Your Highness, obey His Majesty. He truly has put thought into this. Futai is not deceiving you.”
Tears still lingered on her cheeks, but she no longer cried.
Futai hesitated a moment before finally saying, “Actually, His Majesty has his own plans. It’s just that an emperor’s thoughts are hidden deeply. From the moment the Second Prince was born, His Majesty planted several stakes.”
He was aware of the Court’s affairs and the balancing act against the Imperial Son and his wife, but he could not speak of it.
The Imperial Son could not simply be deposed outright; the Second Prince was just born.
These were considerations the Emperor had to make, so his layout was long-term.
Moreover, the Emperor had his own compassion and guilt toward the Imperial Son.
If something bad happened, how to protect his beloved wife and their children—he had thought about that too.
But A wu did not want to believe this.
She knew Futai was sent by Emperor Jingxi.
***
Futai returned to Fengtian Hall to report.
Emperor Jingxi held the imperial brush, looking at Futai silently for a long moment.
After a while, Futai finally raised his head, and the two shared a brief but meaningful glance.
Then Emperor Jingxi said, “Return to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. Here is the imperial edict.”
Futai bowed slowly, “Yes, Your Majesty. I obey.”
The wind stirs at the edge of the green duckweed.
No one knew why the ailing Futai was sent back.
But just over a year later, he had already taken control of the examination of memorials and concurrently served as Grand Eunuch of the Seal of the Eastern Secret Service Factory.
He had returned to the center of power in Great Hui.
***
That evening, the two children were brought back to Langhua Hall.
Because of her illness, A wu had not seen them for several days.
Now sitting at the bedside, she silently watched the two little twins, fair-skinned and soft, well cared for.
They were full and content, munching on their tiny fists.
A wu reached out and gently teased them.
The little ones grasped her finger with their tender hands.
She deliberately wiggled her finger, and one of them smiled with rosy lips.
Suddenly, a pang of guilt struck her—how that day, she had been so clouded in madness to entertain such terrible thoughts.
Thankfully, she had stopped herself; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
How could she bear it?
Thinking this, she lowered her head and kissed the baby’s soft forehead.
The tender little forehead was so lovable she couldn’t help but feel fondness.
Her kiss seemed to awaken their awareness of her affection.
The babies waved their little fists excitedly and kicked their tiny feet happily.
A wu smiled, “So you like being kissed!”
Then, unwilling to show favoritism, she kissed the other one as well.
The two children looked nearly identical and were wrapped in identical swaddling.
She usually just called them “baby,” as she never really knew which was the boy and which was the girl.
Just then, a shadow fell over them.
She paused.
It was Emperor Jingxi.
Several days had passed without seeing him.
Upon this sudden appearance, she felt a bit distant and did not want to acknowledge him.
Yet Emperor Jingxi walked to her side, bending down to look at the twins, playfully teasing them just as she did.
A wu’s expression was cold.
The man seemed to sense her displeasure and spoke not a word, simply playing with the children.
The twins clearly liked their father.
They had already recognized him, laughing brightly with sparkling eyes, waving their hands and feet, making innocent sounds of joy.
A wu glanced sideways.
The man’s narrow, thin double eyelids drooped slightly, his expression tender and doting.
If it were before, she would have been moved.
But now, she only felt faint mockery in her heart.
At that moment, Emperor Jingxi pursed his lips in a smile and picked up one child.
The child excitedly looked around with bright eyes.
The Emperor glanced at A wu and said with a smile, “They don’t like lying down. They want to stand.”
A wu pretended not to hear.
The Emperor chuckled softly, “You should pat Mo Xi, or he’ll feel wronged.”
She looked and sure enough, the baby lying on the bed was pouting pitifully.
Too pitiful!
Unable to bear it, A wu patted him.
The little one stopped sulking and smiled.
She asked coldly, “How do you know this is Mo Xi? That’s Mo Yu.”
Emperor Jingxi said, “Because I have the Emperor’s discerning eyes.”
A wu remembered that day’s words and mocked, “That’s right, the Emperor is wise and sagacious, and I am but a fool.”
Emperor Jingxi took a slow breath and glanced at her cautiously.
“Still angry?”
A wu was silent, her face cold as she turned aside.
The Emperor set the child down and ordered the maid to take care of them.
Then he took hold of A wu’s wrist and led her to a side chamber.
A wu followed but with a sour expression.
After a moment of hesitation, Emperor Jingxi finally spoke, “A wu, though I am the Son of Heaven, what you said that day, I truly cannot do.”
A wu listened silently, then slowly turned to look at him.
His expression lacked the cold and strong demeanor from before.
Instead, there was a careful gentleness.
He knew he had upset her and had now come humbly.
But A wu only felt cold.
He was skilled at manipulating, lowering his posture when it suited him, giving a harsh blow then a sweet reward.
Someone like her in his hands was truly sold but still counting the money.
Emperor Jingxi held her wrist firmly and said, “A wu, if I have done wrong, I can apologize to you. But the Country and State—this is not something I can promise lightly.”
His voice was like metal and stone—both cold and gentle.
A wu lowered her lashes, unwilling to speak.