Ten miles outside the capital, at the farewell pavilion.
When Chu Ruoyan arrived, Chu Huaishan was already waiting there.
He traveled light this ti, taking only Roumin and Chu Zhong's small group, truly giving the impression of an official retiring to his hotown.
Chu Ruolan clung to him: "Father, you are leaving just like that? Are you really going to ignore my and Liulang's wedding?"
Chu Huaishan tapped her forehead: "Do not think your father does not know. You and Liulang have already settled it; the day he passes the imperial examinations will be the day he marries you. There are still several months until the autumn exams. When the ti cos, I will definitely return to officiate your wedding myself."
Seeing she could not make him stay, Chu Ruolan looked to her mother.
Lady Jiang the Younger opened her lips to speak, but was cut off by Chu Huaishan: "Madam, you are just recovering from a severe injury and need proper rest. This ti, I am taking Roumin back to Mount Wutai, and I will drop by Jiangnan to check on Ruoyin along the way..."
Lady Jiang the Younger's body trembled slightly. "My poor second daughter, who knows how she is faring all alone in Jiangnan. Husband, if possible, please bring her back with you this ti. After all, Prince Qin is already..."
Her voice choked, unable to continue.
Previously in Yangzhou, they had gone to persuade her several tis.
But every ti, Ruoyin would brush them off, saying she had not yet seen all the scenery Jiangnan had to offer.
Lady Jiang the Younger knew very well in her heart—it was not that she had not seen all the scenery; she was just isolating herself, trapping herself in the place that man had spoken of.
But the man was already dead. Even if she remained trapped in the past, it would not change anything!
Chu Huaishan patted her shoulder and sighed softly. "Do not worry, I will do my best to persuade her to return."
At this mont, Chu Ruoyan walked over, and everyone bowed in unison: "Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress."
Chu Ruoyan quickly supported her father. "We are family, there is no need for such formalities. Father, let us go sit in the pavilion and talk."
The group entered the pavilion.
Roumin was leaning over the stone table playing with a wind chi. Hearing the commotion, she abruptly stood up: "Soone is here? Are they here to catch ?"
She ducked and hid under the stone table, terrified, clutching her head: "I will not dare again, I will never dare again, please... do not take !"
Chu Ruoyan's steps paused. Chu Huaishan quickly stepped forward and pulled her out, saying, "Roumin, no one is here to catch you. It is alright."
The blind girl stubbornly shook her head. Chu Huaishan comforted her for quite a while before handing her over to Lady Jiang the Younger to take outside.
He watched his daughter's retreating back, his eyes revealing a hint of sorrow: "Your Majesty has seen it too. Roumin is now like a frightened bird, always feeling that soone is out to harm her. I have asked Chief Physician Zhang and consulted the Dowager Noble Consort; both said that if she is taken back to the familiar places of her childhood, she might slowly regain her senses. So now, I must leave."
Chu Ruoyan felt quite upset. Chu Huaishan added: "Lan'er, your mother's health has just improved, she might not be able to watch over Roumin alone. Go and help her."
Chu Ruolan agreed. Seeing her father send everyone away, Chu Ruoyan knew he had important matters to discuss, so she braced herself: "If Father has any instructions, please speak freely."
A look of appreciation appeared on Chu Huaishan's face. "You are still as clever as ever. Then as your father, I will speak plainly. Do not bla the Emperor for my resignation."
"I know. Father is retiring at the height of his career for my sake, and for the sake of the Chu family."
A tall tree catches the wind; being too prominent is not always a good thing.
Chu Huaishan nodded. "It is good that you understand. I know that since childhood, your vision and insight have been different from ordinary noble ladies, and you will not easily fall into others' traps. But there is one thing I must remind you of: in the future, when interacting with the Yun family, you must be extrely cautious."
Chu Ruoyan frowned slightly: "What does Father an by this?"
"The Emperor has ascended the throne, and you have beco the mother of the nation. Things are not what they used to be. The Yun family is, after all, a fallen royal clan. If you interact too closely, it will eventually give others an opportunity. Do you understand what I an?"
Chu Huaishan looked at her with burning eyes. Chu Ruoyan's heart sank, and she slowly nodded: "I understand. Father is afraid that soone will use my background to cause trouble and sow discord."
Chu Huaishan breathed a sigh of relief. "Exactly, Yan'er. The recent rumors of maternal relatives interfering in politics were aid at you. It is certainly good that the Emperor, having just ascended the throne and sharing a deep bond with you, did not beco suspicious. But who can guarantee that next ti, or the ti after that, he will remain the sa? I know your love is as strong as gold, but Yan'er, you must also understand that the easiest thing to change in this world, and the least able to withstand wear and tear, is affection."
How many young couples part ways in their old age? Emperor Jingwen and Empress Duanshu are pri examples.
Chu Ruoyan felt a sourness in her heart, not expecting that after Yan Zheng beca emperor, even her father had beco cautious and careful.
She blinked her slightly moist eyes: "Father, I know you are doing this entirely for my own good. But whether it is Yan Zheng or Yun Lang, they are both my closest family, and I will not abandon either of them. As for your worry about the fickleness of human hearts, to be honest, even I cannot guarantee that I will not change in ten years. So what right do I have to demand it of Yan Zheng?"
Chu Huaishan was taken aback, but saw his daughter smile faintly.
"Right now, he treats with all his heart, so I will naturally treat him with all my heart. If one day he no longer has in his eyes, then I will let him go and find another world. In this life, preparing for a rainy day is certainly important, but if one constantly worries about the future, is that not just asking for trouble?"
Chu Huaishan stared at her blankly for a long ti, then burst into loud laughter. "Good! It seems your father was short-sighted! My daughter can afford to pick things up and put them down. You should live freely according to your heart, rather than cautiously and with grievances!"
At parting, Chu Huaishan suddenly said: "By the way, did you know that Huaian has taken over the Jiang family?"
Chu Ruoyan was stunned: "Cousin Huaian? Then congratulations to him..."
Chu Huaishan smiled bitterly: "Congratulations? Your eldest aunt's hair has turned white from worry. When he took over the Jiang family, he declared that he would never marry and have children in this life, but would only adopt a child from the clan to inherit the Jiang family in the future."
Chu Ruoyan was silent for a mont, not knowing what to say.
The entanglent between her cousin, her second sister, and Prince Qin was too deep. She had not expected that a single obsession would lead to this.
"I almost forgot. Father, if you manage to see Second Sister this ti, please pass a ssage to her for . Just say—soone in the capital is waiting for her, and I believe she will be willing to co back."
Chu Huaishan agreed and boarded the carriage.
As the procession of carriages and horses gradually moved farther away, Chu Ruoyan's nose stung, and tears fell.
She wiped the corners of her eyes, turning around to speak.
Suddenly, the people around her all knelt down in unison: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Looking up, the Emperor, dressed in casual clothes, stood by the carriage with his hands behind his back.
It was unknown how long he had been standing there, or how much of the previous conversation he had heard. But the mont his gaze t hers, he stepped forward and extended his right hand toward her: "A'Yan, I have co to take you ho."
Her just-cleared vision blurred again. Chu Ruoyan tried her best to curve her lips into a smile, but the tears fell disappointingly: "Yan Zheng, you really..."
Before she could finish, she was pulled into a deep embrace by the man. A clear, cold voice fell from above her head, pronouncing every word distinctly.
"A'Yan, towards you, I will never change."
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