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Mei Heting stood frozen, watching as she walked past him, the veil of cloud fabric trailing behind her.
As she brushed by, Xuan Mingzhu lightly scoffed, “Who is worthy to call me by my given name?”
A chill spread through Mei Heting’s chest.
Just as he tried to follow her, two guards clad in rusty red armor appeared silently at the door, blocking his way.
In unison, they said, “Sir, please hold.”
The two hundred red-armored guards sent by Emperor Jinming to protect the Grand Princess had not made an appearance in many years.
Now, with the guards at the ready and the household’s chief steward taking over for Jiang Jin, he had transitioned from a prince consort to “Sir” in their eyes.
—”Changsheng, I want this place to be our little home, not just my princess’s residence. Dismiss the guards, and let your people take over the household affairs. What do you think?”
Her enthusiastic planning for the future felt as if it had just happened yesterday, like a half-ripened peach hanging on a branch in late summer, eager and sweet.
Before him was only a vast, empty courtyard, silent and still.
Mei Heting’s gaze darkened as he slowly tightened his grip, the warmth in his hand fading.
During dinner, Xuan Mingzhu claimed she felt unwell and did not attend the welcoming feast for Madame Yue.
She had never noticed before, but with the head seat empty, it felt as if a piece of jade had been lost, leaving her heart incomplete.
Mei Heting understood that his mother could not handle shocking news well, so he had to keep up appearances at the dining table, maintaining the calm demeanor as usual.
He silently picked at his rice, not touching the dishes.
Madame Yue had a naturally gentle disposition.
The quiet atmosphere of the Mei household had spared her from the intrigues of court life, so she remained oblivious.
She couldn’t help but worry about the princess’s well-being, putting down her chopsticks with a sigh:
“Your Highness has suffered due to the birth of Bao Ya. She should take care of herself and focus on nourishment. Heting, although you are nominally in charge, you are still the princess’s man, and you must understand the hardships women face in giving birth. Even with the many maids and attendants in the house, you must pay close attention to these matters.”
Mei Heting paused, one hand weakly curling under the table as he nodded in acknowledgment.
Seated next to her grandmother, Bao Ya noticed her grandmother setting down her chopsticks, and with her cheeks still slightly puffy, she and her two older brothers quickly followed suit.
Upon hearing her name mentioned, Bao Ya perked up her ears.
She was more perceptive than most children, so Xuan Mingzhu’s approach to parenting was to not treat her like an ignorant little one.
Some things could be discussed openly, and with clear reasoning, Bao Ya would understand.
It was better than hiding the truth from her, only for her to hear gossip from the servants one day and become troubled.
Thus, Bao Ya had learned early on that her mother’s struggle in giving birth was not something to burden her, but rather a lesson that deepened her understanding of filial piety.
Mei Heting watched the innocent expression on the little girl’s face.
She resembled her mother, already exuding a delicate grace and nobility at such a young age.
Suddenly, he stood up, lifting his robe as he headed for the door. “I’m going out for a while!”
The sudden voice startled Madame Yue, and she exchanged glances with her three grandchildren at the dining table.
Outside, night had fallen, and a full moon hung low in the sky, nearing its waning phase.
After Mei Heting left, he headed straight for Minggao Garden.
The night was cool as water, and the man carried a crane-shaped lantern, his formal attire blending into the dark.
He walked silently on the bluestone path, his boots making no sound.
Outside the vermilion wall by the water, four guards in red armor were on night duty.
Suddenly, they noticed a half-bright, half-shadowy figure approaching the princess’s inner quarters, exuding a chilling and ethereal presence that made them all shudder.
This area had not been guarded before. Mei Heting halted his steps and raised the lantern slightly.
The captain of the guards recognized the face and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is it Lord Mei? His Highness has ordered the gates closed; please return.”
Mei Heting looked at him solemnly. “I don’t know you.”
The guard captain thought to himself that it was a coincidence; he had just been reassigned today and hadn’t seen Mei Heting either.
However, it was obvious who else could enter the inner quarters, given Mei Heting’s distinguished appearance.
Judging solely by his looks and demeanor, he was indeed a striking figure, unmatched in elegance, worthy of standing beside the princess.
As for why the two had come to this state, it was not for them, mere attendants, to speculate.
The guard captain repeated, “Please leave.”
The cold, unyielding tone struck a painful chord deep within Mei Heting.
A familiar path that he could walk with his eyes closed now felt blocked, isolating him from the place he longed to be.
But he missed her.
He wanted to apologize to her face-to-face and acknowledge his past mistakes.
He hoped to ask her to reconsider her decision so they could live well together again, just like before.
Those deep, profound eyes resembled a still, dark pool, concealing a surge of intense emotions beneath the surface.
Ignoring the guards, he continued toward the gate.
With a “clang,” a cold blade was drawn, reflecting the white moonlight with a chilling glint.
The slender young guard at the edge, holding his weapon, stood stiffly and spoke in a boyish tone, “We only follow the orders of Her Highness the grand princess; no one is allowed to enter without command!”
“What are you doing, Cui Wen? Why draw your sword?”
The captain’s heart nearly jumped out of his throat. He thought, Mei’s son-in-law is a scholar; how can four of us not stop a single weak scholar?
And on his first day of duty, you dare draw your sword—against half of the former master of this house!
Does he think he has eight heads?
In his peripheral vision, Mei Heting seemed to disregard the blade and continued walking toward the garden.
Cui Wen licked his dry lips, puzzled about why the former son-in-law was so unyielding.
He suddenly remembered his older brother’s advice: no matter where you are, follow the orders and never let emotions cause mistakes.
Cui Wen recalled the order given by the dark guard named Ying Xiao; he knew it was correct!
So he steeled his courage and thrust his sword forward, signaling the other to stop.
The waning moon, dim lights, and dark blades interwove, shattering Mei Heting’s calm gaze like water.
He seemed oblivious to the blade, stepping forward steadily.
For a moment, the guards were all stunned.
The sword’s edge was mere inches from Mei Heting’s collar, and Cui Wen, feeling uncertain, took a step back.
When that delicate Adam’s apple was exposed under the blade, Cui Wen’s wrist trembled, and he retreated further.
Mei Heting continued walking, his expression calm as water, as if he were merely a man returning home to see his wife waiting for him.
He had to see her.
He needed to clarify to her that he had always kept her in his heart, and she was the only one there.
Cui Wen felt something was amiss, thinking that the other man relied on his assumption that he wouldn’t dare hurt him, which made him not back down, convinced that he wouldn’t charge forward.
“Cui Wen!”
The guard captain suddenly shoved this impetuous youth aside.
The blade swept past Mei Heting’s neck, just a hair’s breadth away, cutting a strand of hair.
The captain of the guards felt his tongue go numb; was this master truly reckless or what?
Just then, as Mei Heting stepped over the threshold, he cast a sidelong glance, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
“He’s inside…”
Cui Wen exclaimed in a near-cry, “He, he, he went in! Your Highness gave orders, and I— I couldn’t stop him, I let him in!”
After a brief moment of shock, the captain’s anger flared.
He slapped Cui Wen on the back of the head, tightening his grip around his throat, “What do you think this is? The Second Courtyard has hidden guards! If you keep playing around and looking for death, I won’t wait for the prince to punish you; I’ll kick you out myself! Knife—put away your knife!”
The Second Courtyard was manned by Ying Xiao and Song Tai.
“Who?”
Ying Xiao’s senses were sharp, and upon seeing Mei Heting approaching with a lantern, he suddenly recalled the prince’s earlier instructions.
“He’ll be coming tonight, and the outer guards won’t be able to stop him. You two, make sure no one gets to me.”
The prince, by nature, disliked Buddhism and Taoism, yet Ying Xiao sometimes felt that he treated the prince consort as a form of meditation—suffering, thinking, acting, and knowing, experiencing each aspect with precision.
But so what?
The heart of a true Buddha is elevated above all beings, above the teachings of Mahayana.
No matter how much her foolish prince might expose his heart to serve as a wick, it wouldn’t warm a heartless relic.
In the end, all forms were just emptiness.
With a cold gaze, she stepped forward, while Song Tai appeared like a ghost, presenting a yellow-sealed edict to Mei Heting.
Mei Heting’s eyelids twitched, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
After a moment’s hesitation, he took it into his hands.
Under the dim light of the cold moon, he couldn’t read all the text, but the words “divorce” and “strip the prince consort” jumped out, causing him to feel dizzy.
The official edict from the royal household had finally been issued.
From this moment on, Mei Heting was no longer the prince consort of Princess Zhao Le.
His wife of seven years was no longer his…
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Alfarcy[Translator]
Hello Readers, I'm Alfarcy translator of various Chinese Novel, I'm Thankful and Grateful for all the support i've receive from you guys.. Thank You!
I just started reading this today and I’m very much interested with the novel so I’ve already reached chapter 19. However I just notice from the main page that the last updated was from 7 months ago. I just want to inquire if your still translating this novel?