When Jiang Ning learned that Nangong Muyan was pregnant with Zhou Yi's child, on her way to Fuling Temple, she thought about how she and Liu Ming'an would have children someday too.
But she didn't want to become a mother so early - she was only seventeen, and Liu Ming'an was just twenty. They hadn't had enough time to enjoy their life as a couple yet.
Later, when Yuwen Jin attempted to seize the throne, Jiang Ning entered the palace for Liu Ming'an's sake. After the rebellion was quelled and peace was restored, she shared her thoughts with Liu Ming'an.
Liu Ming'an immediately became distressed: "Ning'er, are you saying you don't want me to touch you anymore?"
"No, no," Jiang Ning hurriedly explained, "I just don't want to have children yet."
"Then are you planning to drink contraceptive medicine afterward?" When Liu Ming'an thought of this possibility, he immediately objected, "Ning'er, all medicine has its toxicity. If that's what you're thinking, I'd rather not touch you at all."
"That's not it either," Jiang Ning leaned in and kissed him, then briefly explained about ovulation periods and safe periods: "Women have certain days each month when they're most likely to conceive. We just need to avoid those days."
Although the rhythm method wasn't entirely reliable, it was the best contraceptive option available in this era. If she got pregnant anyway, then they would have the baby.
Liu Ming'an finally relaxed, pulling her into his arms for a kiss before asking softly, "So, is today okay?"
Jiang Ning calculated mentally, then nodded with a blush. The next moment, she was lifted and placed on the bed.
"Liu Ming'an, it's not even dark yet!"
As Jiang Ning struggled to get up, everything suddenly went dark - he had covered her eyes with his hand. His gentle voice whispered in her ear, "Ning'er, close your eyes and it will be dark."
How was this any different from hiding one's head in the sand?
Jiang Ning didn't know how to respond, but soon she was too distracted to think about such things, focused only on receiving Liu Ming'an's passionate attention.
In the midst of their passion, Jiang Ning vaguely heard Liu Ming'an's voice, heavy with breathing: "Ning'er, I thought I would die in Taiji Hall, never to see you again..."
As he spoke, his grip on her waist tightened. Jiang Ning blinked hard, clearing some of the passion-induced moisture from her eyes, and saw the fear in Liu Ming'an's eyes.
"Liu Ming'an," Jiang Ning held him tighter, her voice firm, "I promised I would protect you. Don't be afraid. I will always protect you."
"Ning'er..."
A passion-filled whisper escaped from the swaying bed. Jiang Ning could no longer form complete sentences, her broken whimpers silenced by his lips...
And so, to avoid pregnancy, they settled into a routine of forced abstinence for half the month and passionate intimacy for the other half.
At this time, Yuwen Yan had not yet ascended to the throne, and Liu Ming'an's imperial examination had been postponed to the twentieth of April due to the period of national mourning.
The couple lived peacefully in their courtyard on Late Winter Road. Due to the dynastic change, the capital's officials were all extremely busy, and neither the Lou family nor the Chancellor's mansion had come to disturb them. Everything seemed to have returned to how it was back in Lingshan Town.
Until late March, when Lou Lianyu came knocking with red-rimmed eyes, looking at Liu Ming'an with desperate pleading: "Grandmother is down to her last breath. Ming'an, she wants to see you."
Liu Ming'an froze, the image of that frail old woman with silver hair flashing through his mind.
"How..." Liu Ming'an could hardly believe it. It hadn't been long since she had grabbed his sleeve, calling him Qingzhi. How could she be at death's door so soon?
Lou Lianyu knew what Liu Ming'an was confused about and fought back tears as he explained: "The last time she saw you, she was lucid. She asked Grandfather about it and learned of Second Uncle's death. Since then, she hasn't spoken or eaten, surviving only on medicinal broths."
Liu Ming'an's eyes flickered. He had been in and out of the Lou household regularly, yet he hadn't known about this.
"She's having her final moment of clarity, holding on purely for this last wish. Ming'an, I beg you to see her..."
Liu Ming'an felt torn, two emotions pulling at him.
Objectively speaking, the Lou family had treated him with utmost kindness, each member trying their best to make up for their past wrongs against Liu Qingzhi. By all rights, Liu Ming'an shouldn't refuse a dying person's request.
But on the other hand, whenever Liu Ming'an thought of this "grandmother," he couldn't help but remember how she had driven his father away twenty years ago with her cruel words. Liu Qingzhi held an irreplaceable position in his heart, and because of this, Liu Ming'an could never forgive her.
Liu Ming'an didn't know what to do. He turned back uncertainly to find Jiang Ning standing behind him, a gentle smile on her lips and soft light in her eyes.
"Ming'an, when death approaches, all rights and wrongs will be reduced to ashes..."
Before Lou Lianyu could say more, Liu Ming'an turned to Jiang Ning and took her hand: "Ning'er, come with me."
It was time for him to have closure with the Lou family. He needed to hear these deathbed confessions, so that when he stood before Liu Qingzhi's grave in the future, he could tell him that his mother had spent half her life in regret, and that the unfair treatment he had suffered had been repaid in its own way.
Jiang Ning nodded, gripping Liu Ming'an's hand tightly as they entered the Lou residence together.
Wang Lanzhi's condition was worse than Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an had imagined.
The person before them had almost no flesh left, like a skeleton wrapped in loose clothing, without a hint of color in her face - only ashen gray. Yet her eyes were bright, unnaturally so, fixed unwaveringly on the doorway as her lips moved silently, forming the names "Qingzhi" and "Ming'an."
The Lou family members surrounded her, tears in their eyes, with soft sobs echoing through the room. Lou Yuhuan held her tree-branch-like hand, repeatedly calling "Lanzhi, Lanzhi."
When Liu Ming'an entered with Jiang Ning, everyone turned to look at them.
"Lanzhi, Ming'an is here, Ming'an is here!"
Lou Yuhuan spoke urgently, pulling Liu Ming'an to her side before stepping back.
Seeing Wang Lanzhi in this state, Liu Ming'an felt an indescribable sourness in his heart.
It was human nature - even if this person had no connection to him, watching a life slowly slip away before his eyes, Liu Ming'an couldn't help but feel moved.
"Grandmother."
Liu Ming'an crouched beside Wang Lanzhi, taking the hand that was struggling to rise, and looked up at her: "I'm here."
"Qing...zhi..."
The hoarse voice squeezed out of her throat was more like a breath - if Liu Ming'an hadn't been so close, he might not have heard it at all.
Wang Lanzhi painfully turned her eyes toward Liu Ming'an, with tangible sorrow in them: "Ming...an..."
Liu Ming'an nodded, holding her hand a bit tighter, his voice as gentle as ever: "Grandmother, it's me. I'm Liu Ming'an, Liu Qingzhi's son."
Two clear tears suddenly fell, and Wang Lanzhi opened her mouth, forcing out the words that had weighed on her heart for half a lifetime: "I'm... so... sorry..."
With those words, the force that had been sustaining her suddenly dissipated. Her head tilted to one side as she closed her eyes forever.
"Great-grandmother!"
A seven or eight-year-old boy broke free from his mother's grasp, pushing Liu Ming'an aside to throw himself into Wang Lanzhi's arms, sobbing uncontrollably: "Great-grandmother, don't sleep, Great-grandmother, wake up, wuu wuu..."
Crying sounds came from all around. Liu Ming'an stood up and walked to Jiang Ning's side, his face somewhat pale.
His gaze swept across the roomful of mourning Lou family members, and as he watched them weep, he felt an oddly liberating sense of relief.
Jiang Ning held Liu Ming'an's hand, looking at him with concern. After a long while, he finally turned to her and said, "Ning'er, let's go home."
Jiang Ning nodded, and as they turned to leave, Lou Yuhuan called out: "Ming'an, I plan to cremate your grandmother's remains."
In Great Liang, people believed in burial as the proper way to rest, so Liu Ming'an frowned, finding it strange.
"Why?" he asked.
Lou Yuhuan looked straight into Liu Ming'an's eyes and explained his intention: "I plan to take her to Lotus Flower Village and scatter her ashes on the green mountain where Qingzhi is buried."
Liu Ming'an lowered his eyes, remaining silent.
"Ming'an, after you finish your examinations, come back with us. I want to see where Qingzhi married and had his child. I think your grandmother would have wanted that too..."
Lou Yuhuan hadn't noticed Liu Ming'an's expression and continued speaking until the young man before him suddenly looked at him and called out "Old Grand Tutor."
Lou Yuhuan stopped mid-sentence, this form of address making him flustered.
Liu Ming'an took a deep breath, making his decision: "Old Grand Tutor, my surname is Liu, and so was my father's."
Lou Yuhuan staggered, stumbling back several steps.
"Ming'an!" Lou Baili, seeing his father about to collapse, quickly went over to support him.
Liu Ming'an bowed deeply to them, saying with utmost solemnity: "Do not ask when I'll return, for my bones shall rest in the green mountains! Please do not disturb my late father anymore."
Liu Ming'an left with Jiang Ning without waiting for their reaction.
Upon returning to their residence on Late Winter Road, as soon as they entered, before Jiang Ning could say anything, Liu Ming'an pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Ning, when we have children, we must raise them well."
Liu Ming'an's voice was very low. Jiang Ning sighed, hugging him back, awkwardly comforting him: "We will. Liu Ming'an, you'll be a good father."
Their children would never experience the tragedy of the Lou family.
"Ning, after we're married, let's visit Lotus Flower Village. I want to tell them everything..."
"Alright."
"I also want to see Third Aunt, Third Uncle, and Aunt Hui. Last time we left too hastily; this time I want to say a proper goodbye."
"Alright."
After making these promises, time flowed like water. Many things happened in the following months: the new emperor ascended the throne, Jiang Ning became Princess Hening, completely severing ties with the Chancellor's mansion; Liu Ming'an, as expected, achieved the highest score in the imperial examinations, and the emperor blessed their marriage, making him the Princess Consort...
A few days before the grand wedding, Jiang Ning finally convinced Lan Xu to move into the Princess's mansion after much persuasion.
The mansion's steward, maids, and guards all knew she was the Princess's birth mother, but weren't sure how to address her.
Usually, a princess's mother would be a palace consort, but Jiang Ning was of common birth who had been granted the imperial surname. Lan Xu had never married, so calling her "Old Madam" wouldn't be appropriate, yet there were no other suitable honorific titles.
Finally, Lan Xu herself resolved the awkward situation by saying: "Just call me Aunt Lan!"
The nuns at Fuling Temple made Jiang Ning's wedding dress and embroidered shoes, while Lan Xu prepared her bridal veil.
On the wedding day, as she watched Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning bow to her during the "second bow to parents" ceremony, she could no longer hold back her tears.
Her dear Ling was getting married, beautifully wed to the man she loved, with an honorable status - she would never be bullied again.
After the newlyweds entered their chamber, Lan Xu walked to a deserted corridor, planning to have a good cry, but unexpectedly, Nangong Ya had followed her.
"Was it you who made her sever ties with me?"
Nangong Ya stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the woman before him, asking in a deep voice.
He actually couldn't remember what she looked like - too much time had passed. He never wanted to recall that reckless night, and the woman he had shared that brief encounter with had long been forgotten.
Until today, when his daughter was getting married, and he, as her father, could only attend as a subject, while the so-called Princess's birth mother sat in what should have been his place at the ceremony. Only then did he suddenly remember her existence.
Lan Xu's appearance momentarily dazed Nangong Ya, followed by a flood of questions.
How had Ling found her? When had they recognized each other? Was Ling's dramatic change in personality related to her mother?
Nangong Ya stared directly at Lan Xu, seeking answers.
Lan Xu wiped away her tears upon hearing his question, her lips curling into a somewhat mocking smile: "Chancellor, have you come to interrogate me?"
Looking at the man before her, it would be a lie to say she felt no resentment.
She had been a pure and innocent girl whose life was ruined by a scheme, and when she finally had a daughter to rely on, fate had cruelly separated them.
She had originally thought it would be fine for her child to live as a well-provided-for young lady in the Chancellor's mansion, but Ling had chosen to sever all ties with the Chancellor's household.
Although Jiang Ning had never spoken of any grievances she suffered at the Chancellor's mansion, Lan Xu knew that if she hadn't been unhappy there, she wouldn't have made such a decisive break.
Thinking of this, Lan Xu's attitude wasn't very friendly. She looked directly at Nangong Ya and countered: "Shouldn't you know better than me why Ling wanted to cut ties with the Chancellor's mansion? I entrusted my child to you, but you didn't treat her well. How dare you come questioning me?"
"I never mistreated her!" Nangong Ya hurriedly explained: "She is my daughter, and even though she wasn't born as I had expected, she is still my daughter. From childhood, whatever my other daughter had, she never lacked - on this, my conscience is clear!"
"Heh," Lan Xu laughed sarcastically, not bothering to waste more words, only saying: "Keep your clear conscience if you wish. From now on, there may be Lan Ling, Jiang Ning, and Yuwen Ning, but there will never be a Nangong Ling again."
Lan Xu turned and left after speaking - on such a joyous day, she couldn't let an irrelevant person spoil the mood.
The morning after the wedding night, they were supposed to eat tangyuan. She needed to check if the fillings had been properly prepared.