Xu Nian felt like she had slept for a very long time, longer than ever before.

When she woke up, she didn't see the familiar white roof of the tent, but the roof of a carriage. Beneath her was a fine rabbit fur blanket.

His body was swaying unsteadily; he must be on his way.

She twitched her fingers slightly, and Gu Zhan, who was sitting next to her reading a book, immediately realized, "Nian'er, you're finally awake."

Xu Nian has slept for five whole days since the day of the battle.

The Gu family army held a victory celebration banquet and dismantled their camps in the past five days, and is now on its way back to the capital.

Liu Jun was executed that same day for treason and attempting to harm his commander-in-chief, violating military discipline. With irrefutable evidence, he was beheaded. As for the Japanese pirates...

They were all in the prison vans behind, waiting to be imprisoned upon their return to Kyoto.

Listening to Gu Zhan's story, Xu Nian felt somewhat dazed. In her dream, she had argued with her master and managed to buy him half a month of time.

I thought only a short while had passed, but five days have actually gone by.

That old man's two weeks should be counted from the moment I woke up... right?

Xu Nian was unsure, and by this time the live stream had already closed. She had no one to ask, and her expression remained frozen for a moment.

She decided to take it one step at a time, and if things really didn't work out, she'd already resorted to tantrums before.

Xu Nian propped herself up on her arms and sat up, when Gu Zhan suddenly pulled her into his arms. "You scared me to death. I thought the army doctor said you were exhausted and unconscious, and you might not even make it through the day."

Gu Zhan still can't recall what happened that day; he thought it was just the same exhaustion and unconsciousness as before.

However, when he held his wife in his arms and felt her unusually cold body temperature, his heart tightened, and the chill of the border night crept up his spine.

It's impossible to freeze him completely!

Even a person who has just died wouldn't have a body like Xu Nian's. She was so cold that touching her made one's fingers ache.

The army doctor told him that this was probably caused by the backlash of the magic within the princess's body. More than one person had told him that Xu Nian might not be able to hold on.

After all, her breathing was so weak it was almost nonexistent.

Gu Zhan, however, did not believe her and kept warming her with his body. On the way back, he even had many warm jades and rabbit fur placed in the carriage.

"Gu Zhan, it's alright. I'm awake now, aren't I?" Xu Nian smiled and patted his back, guessing that he must have had a tough time these past few days.

The person holding her didn't loosen their grip; instead, they tightened their arms even more, as if trying to meld her into their very bones.

How can I tell you the truth?

The man's warm, firm embrace filled her eyes with bitterness. Oh well, it's not too late to talk about it when we get to the capital.

Thinking this, she let herself be immersed in Gu Zhan's embrace.

On their way back to the capital, the two passed through many places they had visited before. Those people still remembered her, whenever she rested in a city.

Countless people came forward with vegetables and fruits, but Xu Nian refused to accept them. So they simply put the children on the car and drove off.

So much so that when they returned, their meals were much better than before.

They arrived in the capital city in this leisurely manner, with less than a week left before Xu Nian's deadline.

By then, the seven-day mourning period for Jiang Mingyun had passed. In the spirit that a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, the ministers began to prepare for the enthronement ceremony of Jiang Yuanqing.

The date was set for the tenth day of the ninth lunar month, the day before Xu Nian was to return.

Now fully recovered, she rode a tall horse, watching the enthusiastic people on both sides of the road. She felt incredibly warm-hearted, and the first thing she did upon returning to the capital was to go to the imperial city to report to His Majesty.

This matter had nothing to do with Xu Nian, so she stayed at the General's Mansion.

When Gu Zhan went to the palace, she packed some things. Then she went out, led by Liu Yun, and went to the former Crown Prince's residence, now the Prince Gong's residence.

"Niannian, when did you get back?" Su Wanting hadn't seen her friends for a long time; they had been imprisoned here by the late emperor. Not to mention her friends, even her parents didn't dare to come and visit.

It was only after the new emperor took charge of state affairs that their confinement was lifted.

Only members of Prince Gong's mansion were qualified to go out to shop, but their family's position was extremely awkward. Unless absolutely necessary, they would never easily step out of the house.

She was somewhat shocked when she first heard the report from her servant today.

When she saw Xu Nian coming this way after passing through the second gate and the moon gate, she hurriedly ran out of the courtyard. "I heard you went to the border with Gu Zhan. Was your journey smooth?"

Jiang Yuanling, who rarely saw old friends, also came out of the study.

Having shed the python robes that belonged to the crown prince, the man dressed only in a plain brocade robe did not appear as weathered and decadent as the world had imagined. Instead, he exuded a carefree and unrestrained air, as if he had let go of great things.

Out of consideration for their past relationship, neither the late emperor nor Jiang Yuanqing made things too difficult for the couple.

"I'm doing well. I just returned to the capital today and wanted to see you as soon as possible." Xu Nian followed Su Wanting inside. "I heard that His Majesty has issued an edict ordering you to go to Jiangnan?"

Although she was away from the capital during this time, Liu Yun still kept a close eye on everything and inquired about all the details.

One of them was that after Jiang Yuanqing became emperor, his second edict was to confer the title of Prince Gong upon Jiang Yuanling, with his fiefdom located in the Jiangnan region.

But the couple showed no sign of the bitterness of being far from the capital; instead, they were filled with joy. "Your Majesty cherishes our past. We've been through so much and we don't want to stay in the capital. Jiangnan is wonderful, with beautiful scenery. It's just a pity we won't live to see your child with Gu Zhan."

She was talking happily and didn't notice Xu Nian's forced smile.

Seeing that this family was destined for a life of wealth and honor, just as their destiny foretold, Xu Nian felt relieved. "I came here when I had some free time. This is a gift from me to you. Wanting, Your Highness, I hope you will live a harmonious and happy life with many children and grandchildren."

Jiang Yuanling felt uneasy as she spoke with a somewhat solemn tone, and she couldn't help but feel that something was off about Xu Nian.

But he didn't ask the question until the person said goodbye.

After returning from Prince Gong's Mansion, Gu Zhan had already come out of the palace. Standing outside the General's Mansion, he was still wearing his armor. Upon seeing Xu Nian's carriage, he immediately came to greet it.

"Why don't you change your clothes first?" Xu Nian laughed. "Everyone's watching you. Isn't this armor heavy?"

"I just arrived at the manor, and when I saw your carriage, I didn't have time to change."

Xu Nian didn't believe him, but she felt good about being cared for. She didn't say much and walked back to the General's Mansion with Gu Zhan, hand in hand, under the teasing gazes of everyone.

That night, after having dinner with Gu Zhan, Xu Nian pulled him into the bedroom.

"I have something I want to tell you. About myself."