"Xingyue, you've lost weight." Xue Xingchen looked at his pale and gaunt imperial sister, his heart filled with a mix of emotions.
Xue Xingyue heard him and grinned, "Imperial Brother, this is a healthy complexion."
"Five years," Xue Xingchen said slowly, looking at her.
She faltered, "Imperial Brother..."
Xue Xingchen let out a long sigh, gazing at her. "Xingyue, five years. You have been in Zhenguan for five full years."
Xue Xingyue lowered her gaze. "Imperial Brother, are... are you well?"
She heard Xue Xingchen chuckle softly. "Your Imperial Brother is quite well. And you, Xingyue?"
"Of course, I am also very well, because I promised Imperial Brother. You stabilize the empire, and I will protect the land for you."
Xue Xingchen looked at her clear, untroubled eyes and suddenly felt as if he were transported back to the past.
"Imperial Brother, Imperial Brother..." Xue Xingchen only came to his senses when Xue Xingyue's voice reached his ears. He took her hand. "Xingyue, this time, do not leave again."
"Alright," she responded solemnly.
Xue Xingchen smiled.
Yet, a trace of sadness touched her heart.
Finally, they arrived at the imperial palace. The carriage stopped. Xue Xingchen released her hand and said, "Xingyue, go and rest. Come back tonight. It has been a long time since you and Imperial Brother have had a good talk. We can stay up all night, just like when we were children."
She nodded. "Alright."
Xue Xingchen nodded, smiled at her, and said, "Go!"
She stepped out of the carriage. A sedan chair was already waiting. She glanced back at the carriage as the curtain was slowly lowered, then stepped into the sedan chair and sat down.
She looked up at the imperial palace, which was both unfamiliar and familiar, and an indescribable feeling welled up within her.
"Your Highness, we have arrived." It was Feng Wu's voice that brought her back to reality. She alighted from the sedan chair and looked up. The three large characters, Luoyu Hall, met her gaze. This was the name her father had given her hall years ago. She had not expected the scenery to remain the same while people had changed.
"Your Highness..." Feng Wu looked at her with some concern.
She shook her head. "I am fine. Where is Feng Jiu?"
Feng Wu said in a low voice, "This subordinate sent him to Anhe Palace."
Xue Xingyue frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Have him return. I have already accepted the imperial decree for the marriage. She has no reason to do anything now."
"Your Highness..."
"That's enough. You can go down now too. You must be tired from the journey. Go and rest!"
Feng Wu nodded reluctantly. "Yes, this subordinate takes his leave!"
She walked inside. With each step forward, a scene flashed through her mind: her mother holding her, laughing on a soft couch; her father scolding her. These images surfaced one after another.
But... when everything turned to dust, she realized that in the end, only she remained.
"Mother Empress, Father..."
"Your Highness..."
Xue Xingyue opened her eyes and saw Feng Wu. She realized she had fallen asleep on the couch. She got up and asked, "What time is it?"
"Replying to Your Highness, it is already Chen Shi," Feng Wu said.
"Help me wash up," she instructed.
Feng Wu nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
As Feng Wu helped her wash, he said in a low voice, "Your Highness, Feng Jiu sent word that the wife of the Duke of Ning went to Anhe Palace this morning."
Xue Xingyue heard this and said, "The wife of the Duke of Ning?"
"Meng Jiangming's mother," Feng Wu replied.
She suddenly remembered that when her mother was Empress, she had liked to invite the wife of the Duke of Ning to Fengyu Palace. At that time, Madam Jiang was not yet the wife of the Duke of Ning.
She was also very young then. Madam Jiang always spoke gently with the Empress, so she had quite a good impression of Madam Jiang. To the point that when the Empress was selecting consorts for her Imperial Brother, she had said, "Since Madam Jiang is so gentle, are the people in her family also soft-tempered?"
The Empress took her words to heart, and thus, Meng An entered the palace.
"Your Highness..."
She came back to her senses and looked at herself in the bronze mirror. She suddenly asked, "Feng Wu, do you think Consort An will be very unhappy to see me?"
Feng Wu replied with some indignation, "Your Highness has accepted the imperial decree for the marriage. What else could she be dissatisfied with?"
"Who knows?" Xue Xingyue said faintly, gazing into the distance.
Upon arriving at Xuehe Hall, she saw her Imperial Brother sitting in the place of honor, with Consort An by his side.
Seeing her arrival, everyone stood up and bowed. "Greetings, Princess Mingzhu. Princess, may you live a thousand years!"
"Rise, everyone!" Xue Xingyue said.
She approached and curtsied. "Imperial Brother, Consort An!"
Consort An smiled. "Mingzhu, it has been a long time."
She looked up at Consort An and said, "Indeed, it has been a long time."
Xue Xingchen coughed lightly, and Consort An withdrew her gaze from Xue Xingyue, saying softly, "Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"
"I am fine," Xue Xingchen said, patting Consort An's hand.
Xue Xingyue lowered her gaze and sat down to the side.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the hall, and after a moment, a young man hurried in. "Imperial Aunt, you have truly returned."
Xue Xingyue looked up and saw a young man standing before her. He was tall and slender, with a handsome and clear face, his eyes bright with surprise and joy as he looked at her.
She smiled. "Tian Yue, your aunt has returned."
"Imperial Aunt, Tian Yue missed you so much." The young man walked over, sat beside her, and held her arm, just as he had done when he was a child, held by his aunt, listening to the songs she sang.
Xue Xingyue smiled. This was the second time she had truly smiled since returning here. The first was when she saw her Imperial Brother, and the second was meeting this young man.
"Imperial Aunt, you returned but didn't come to see Tian Yue," Xue Tian Yue said with a hint of pique.
Feng Wu, standing nearby, said, "Your Highness, the First Prince, Your Highness only returned today and had not yet had the time to inform you."
"Aunt, you must be very tired!" Xue Tian Yue asked with concern.
"It's alright, Aunt is not tired. But you, you have grown so much in a few years?" She remembered that Xue Tian Yue was just a young boy when she left. Now, he looked almost as tall as her.
Tian Yue had been found by her Imperial Brother on the battlefield. When he was first found, the little fellow was fierce, baring his teeth at everyone, and no one dared to serve him. She had taken care of him, and from then on, the little fellow trusted her more and more each day.
Now, her Imperial Brother had no other imperial sons. If nothing unexpected happened, this little fellow might be the future emperor of the Xingchen Kingdom.
Xue Tian Yue's eyes lit up. "Is that so, Aunt? Tian Yue has grown up?"
Xue Xingyue smiled and nodded. "Indeed, our Tian Yue has grown up." As she spoke, she reached out and stroked his head.
Xue Tian Yue's gaze faltered slightly, then he said, "Aunt, Tian Yue will be able to protect you from now on."
"Alright, then Aunt will wait for Tian Yue to protect her."
Xue Tian Yue smiled happily, his gaze also becoming fervent.
"Tian Yue," Consort An said suddenly, her brow furrowed, and she let out a cold reprimand.
Xue Tian Yue glanced at Consort An. When he met Consort Jia's stern gaze, he bit his lower lip and finally stood up. He bowed and said, "Aunt, Tian Yue will come to see you again later."
"Go on!" Xue Xingyue did not mind and waved her hand.
Xue Tian Yue looked somewhat disappointed. He walked to Consort An's side and said to Xue Xingchen, "Father Emperor, Mother Consort."