Chapter 150: Year After Year of Peace

At the Crown Prince’s Residence.

Xie Cheng stood outside, his posture humble, unease written all over him.

He had been on duty that day when suddenly news came of Madam Zhang and Xie Yujiao’s deeds. The shock nearly scared his soul away.

He truly had not expected Madam Zhang and Xie Yujiao to be so brazen.

Acting without hesitation, he wrote a divorce letter and sent it to the Madam Zhang family, then reported the matter to the Crown Prince’s Residence to show his stance.

Afterward, he hurried here to beg for an audience and offer his apologies.

He had already come three times.

And not once had he been allowed through the gate.

His earlier anxiety gradually gave way to anger. He was, after all, Xie Yao’s father.

And Xie Yao treated him like this?

His choice had been right after all…

“Master Xie.”

The steward of the Crown Prince’s Residence spoke, “The Crown Princess is still weak and cannot receive guests. Please return.”

Xie Cheng’s expression stiffened.

He had already humbled himself so thoroughly; visited three times to apologize, and still Xie Yao refused to give him face…

Very well. Truly fine, indeed.

Madam Zhang had been right; Xie Yao was nothing but a white-eyed wolf. After climbing to a high branch, she would never help or support the Xie family again.

Hatred seethed in his heart.

But when he lifted his eyes again, his face wore a kindly smile. “Then I will not disturb her further. I shall visit again once the Crown Princess has recovered.”

He paused, adopting the look of a loving father. “Please tell the Crown Princess this: as her father, I will surely see that she gets justice and does not suffer wrong in vain.”

The moment he turned away, the smile dropped from his face. His fists clenched tight, his eyes filled only with venom.

Xie Yao!

Just like that damned mother of hers both deserved to die!

Had he known things would turn out like this, he should have strangled that wretch the moment she was born!

But when he thought of the secret message he had received early that morning, his expression eased slightly.

It doesn’t matter.

He still had hope.

—-

The steward dutifully relayed Xie Cheng’s words.

Xie Yao laughed out loud on the spot.

“Those sorts of words, I stopped believing them when I was seven.” She pinched her nose and downed the restorative soup in one go.

Before she could speak again, a candied fruit was placed in her mouth.

Xiao Ji took the bowl from her hand and set it on a nearby tray, his eyes full of pity as he looked at her.

His Yao-yao had suffered so much.

“Your Highness,” Xie Yao asked, “and over at the prison…?”

“I have already ordered them to isolate those two women from others, with no visitors allowed,” Xiao Ji replied.

With Pei Chen personally watching, he was at ease.

He supported Xie Yao so she sat comfortably. “What matters most, Yao-yao, is for you to recover your strength first.”

Everything else could be delayed.

“Alright.” Xie Yao nodded obediently. That was her thought as well, to leave Madam Zhang and Xie Yujiao stewing in the prison for now.

She had carried those children for ten months. How could she ever allow them to be left unwatched?

Today she had simply turned Xie Yujiao’s ambition against her, letting it rise to the surface.

If the needle didn’t prick Xie Yujiao herself, Madam Zhang would never learn pain.

Besides, she had only provided the opportunity; the ones who truly chose to act were still Madam Zhang and Xie Yujiao.

Even so, Xie Yao still wanted to keep her children in sight at all times. So she had their cradles moved into the main chamber.

Because she had napped during the day, she found it hard to sleep at night.

Xiao Ji, too, was awake.

“Your Highness,” Xie Yao asked, “have you decided on the children’s names yet?”

Xiao Ji had read extensively, possessing vast knowledge. But for the children’s names, he had been mulling and weighing possibilities for months.

None had seemed quite right.

Now that the children were born, he could not delay further.

Xiao Ji: “…”

He fell silent for a moment. “What does Yao-yao think?”

He truly could not decide.

Xie Yao smiled. “Then why don’t I choose their nicknames?”

“Zhao-zhao for ‘may all wishes shine clear and be fulfilled,’ and Sui-sui for ‘may each passing year be peaceful and calm.’ Zhao-zhao, Sui-sui, what does Your Highness think?”

Xiao Ji had no objections. Moved by the meanings, he caught her hand and kissed it softly.

“Perfect.”

Only late into the night did Xie Yao finally drift off. It was early spring, the second month of the year; charcoal still burned in the brazier, keeping the room warm.

She slept in bed, with two cradles placed side by side at one end. A single candle burned at a distance, enough for light, yet not glaring, so as not to disturb rest.

Three steady breaths sounded in Xiao Ji’s ears.

He held Xie Yao close, never having felt such peace and warmth in his life.

Suddenly, his expression changed slightly, lips pressed tight, as though suppressing something. He forced it down.

At last, he reluctantly loosened his hold on Xie Yao, gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and silently slipped out.

Si-nan was already waiting outside. He hurried forward, face full of worry. “Your Highness!”

Xiao Ji gave a faint shake of his head and walked toward the study. “Let’s go.”

—–

Xie Yao was awakened by noise.

Zhao-zhao and Sui-sui, for some reason, began crying early in the morning.

She sat up just as the wet nurse and matrons entered, apologizing quickly. “Forgive us, Crown Princess, we disturbed you. It was our fault.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Xie Yao said. “What is it?”

The wet nurse smiled. “The little princess wet herself, that’s why she cried.”

“And the little prince, perhaps hearing his sister cry, cried along with her. People say twins share a special bond, a kind of telepathy. And now it seems true.”

Xie Yao couldn’t help but laugh.

The wet nurse changed Sui-sui’s clothes, and then took both children into the next room to feed them. Only then did Xie Yao wash up.

“Your Highness,” Zhuqing reported, “yesterday Master Song knelt before the Yangxing Palace all day. His Majesty pitied him, as his only child has met with such a fate, and so did not punish him.”

Song Wenbo was no longer a whole man. In the future, he would never have another child.

So in everyone’s eyes, the baby borne by Xie Yujiao had been his only child.

And since it had been stillborn, this meant his line was cut off.

For these reasons, and because the emperor had recently favored Song Wenbo, His Majesty could not help but feel sympathy for him.

Xie Yao only murmured an acknowledgment, unsurprised.

Song Wenbo was useless in many ways but fawning and flattering were what he excelled at.

Xiao Ji entered with the breakfast tray, sharing the meal with Xie Yao. Afterward, he said, “News came from Pei Chen’s side. Song Wenbo has been trying openly and secretly to get into the prison.”

“But every time, he was blocked.”

At this time, Song Wenbo could only want one thing in prison: to see Xie Yujiao.

Xie Yao’s eyes narrowed slightly. “He’s in quite a hurry.”

Xiao Ji nodded. “Last night and this morning, he already tried four or five times.”

Xie Yao smiled. “Since he’s so anxious, let’s keep him that way. What does Your Highness think?”

Xiao Ji agreed at once. “Just so, I told Pei Chen exactly that.”

Xie Yao’s lips curved, and she exchanged a glance with Xiao Ji. Husband and wife both laughed.

That night Si-nan came again to report.

“Your Highness, Crown Princess—”

“News from Marquis of Zhenbei: Second Young Lady Xie has been crying and begging to see you. From her mood, it seems… she may be contemplating suicide.”