Now that he was Duchess Chunhua, naturally he couldn’t go back to being a maid at Prince Jing’s residence. The maid Chunhua no longer existed, only Xiao Chunhua, granddaughter of Duke Zhenguo.

When Xiao Hongjian had watched his grandfather take Chunhua to the palace, he had thought that he could at long last carry off his beauty. He was so delighted he turned circles around the residence, unable to stop for a moment. But instead, when Chunhua returned from the palace, she had suddenly transformed into his sister. Duke Zhenguo, who had only had one grandson, now also had a granddaughter. This news struck Xiao Hongjian like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky.

“D-Duchess Chunhua, to marry Prince Jing?” Xiao Hongjian, informed that the object of his affections was now his sister, simply couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Looking at Chunhua standing behind old Marquis Zhenbei dressed in the duchess’s attire the emperor had awarded him, he thought there was nothing more absurd than this in the world.

Because of Chunhua’s special physique, none of the existing attire for a duchess was appropriate for him to wear. Emperor Ning’an had ordered a full wardrobe to be made at once for Chunhua that would fit, and he had given Chunhua a huge dowry. He had told him to stay temporarily at Marquis Zhenbei’s residence, then move to his own once one could be prepared. As for the wedding, the Board of Astrology still had to compare the two prospective spouses’ eight characters of birth and reckon an auspicious date. They would have to wait at least till next year for the duchess to marry. When he thought that they wouldn’t be able to see each other during this time, Duchess Chunhua thought that he needed to practice his lightness skill so he could more conveniently pay private visits to Prince Jing at night.

“Just right.” Xiao Jinshu stroked his beard and smiled. His eyes were filled with emotion as he looked at Chunhua. This was precisely the little sister he had only seen a few times before she had sacrificed herself for Emperor Jingren; they were truly identical.

Able to see these two people married again, Xiao Jinshu felt that he had no regrets in his life. Where would he have found the energy to consider Xiao Hongjian’s little schemes?

“Grandfather!” Xiao Hongjian said a little despairingly, clutching Xiao Jinshu by the sleeve. “W-what about me?”

“Since I am a daughter of the Xiao family, naturally Young Master Xiao is my older brother,” Chunhua answered before Xiao Jinshu could respond. He was planning to destroy any daydreams Xiao Hongjian still harbored. There was no one in his heart but Prince Jing. Anyone else had no business getting involved.

“Older brother?” The melancholy in Xiao Hongjian’s chest threatened to burst out as he repeated these words. “Chunhua, I adore you from the bottom of my heart, but in the end I only get to be your older brother?”

Chunhua wrinkled his brow slightly. Looking into Xiao Hongjian’s furious and despairing face, he said, “Have you trained in martial arts?”

“Though Grandfather did not let me go into battle, I did pick up a few tricks in private,” said Xiao Hongjian.

“Have you studied the art of commanding troops? Made sand table models?”

“I’ve picked up a bit.”

“Are you skilled in shooting from the saddle?”

“I can do a bit.”

“Perfect,” said Chunhua with a faint smile. “By coincidence, I have also learned a bit. Why don’t we have an exchange of skills, Brother?”

Xiao Hongjian frowned. “Weapons aren’t toys. What if I hurt you?”

“No matter.” Chunhua smiled unfathomably.

Six hours later—

Chunhua had wiped the floor with Xiao Hongjian.

To Xiao Jinshu, who was watching Chunhua with a look of satisfaction, Chunhua said, “Grandfather, though my older brother is the sole carrier of Duke Zhenguo’s bloodline, as a child of the Xiao family, if he cannot go to war to kill the enemy, cannot defend the northern border, cannot protect his home, then his life is not worth living. My brother is far-sighted and full of aspirations, but he has had no opportunity to prove himself. You see that despite having no contact with military affairs in the capital all these years, he has studied in all the relevant areas. Clearly he has worked hard in secret. Since my brother has these ambitions, Grandfather, why won’t you give him a chance?”

Xiao Jinshu looked at Xiao Hongjian. Inclining his head slightly, he said, “Though your skills are not yet fully mature, it’s clear that you’ve worked hard. Your grandfather is getting on in years. I’m a little set in my ways. If you want to go to Mobei, I will find you a good teacher. But, Hongjian, a weapon may kill anyone. You must be careful when you are in the army.”

Xiao Hongjian had been so thoroughly defeated that he didn’t even have the strength to get up. He could only nod in silence when he heard Xiao Jinshu say this. He looked at Chunhua, gritted his teeth, and said, “Chunhua, I will go to Mobei to train and go to war. I won’t rely on the achievements of my elders but will win merit with my own efforts and come back to support you!”

When they heard Xiao Hongjian say this, Chunhua and Xiao Jinshu knew that his ideas about Chunhua had temporarily been put aside. Once he was in Mobei, it would be years before he could return to the capital. As time went on, he would lose interest in his sentimental attachment. Satisfied, Chunhua said, “Thank you, then, Brother.”

When Xiao Hongjian left the capital, the date of Duchess Chunhua’s wedding to Prince Jing was set. It would be in the coming autumn, a whole year away.

According to Xia’s customs, the engaged couple could not see each other after the date of the wedding was decided. The wait nearly killed Chunhua. While he was staying at the marquis’s residence, Chunhua wanted to go see Prince Jing every night, but Xiao Jinshu was keeping a close eye on him. Each day he sought Chunhua out so they could exchange views on troop movements and battle formations. Xiao Jinshu had engaged in warfare for decades; his experience and his strategies were both greater than Chunhua’s. But Chunhua had the benefit of a modern education. Though his experience wasn’t a match for Xiao Jinshu’s, he could occasionally come up with a brilliant move to turn defeat into victory. When the two of them matched wits, Xiao Jinshu won eight out of ten times, while Chunhua only managed two out of ten; yet those two were an endless source of inspiration for Xiao Jinshu.

Xiao Jinshu battled Chunhua every day until late into the night. By midnight, Prince Jing was sure to be asleep, and Chunhua didn’t want to wake him, so he had to hold back and not go. Now and then he really couldn’t resist some nights and went to Prince Jing’s residence in the middle of the night, but Prince Jing had at some point acquired a parrot. As soon as Chunhua landed, the parrot would start to shout, and the residence’s guards would come at once. Chunhua had no choice but to return to Marquis Zhenbei’s residence.

This went on for over a month. Chunhua longed for Prince Jing day and night. What kind of honeymoon was this? This was torture.

Just as Chunhua was getting ready to strangle that parrot, Emperor Ning’an granted him his own residence. Duchess Chunhua’s residence was next door to Prince Jing’s.

When Chunhua moved there, Xiao Jinshu could no longer battle him late into the night; at latest he would have to leave at dusk. Now Chunhua could go to Prince Jing’s residence after sunset for a private meeting, with no further need to worry about waking Prince Jing.

The very day Chunhua moved into his residence, Prince Jing sent a housewarming gift. As Chunhua’s future husband, Prince Jing’s present was tremendous, full of rare treasures. But what Chunhua cared about most was that the gift included a parrot.

Was it because he knew he wouldn’t escape tonight and was sending the parrot as an apology? Chunhua gazed at that parrot. Should he braise it, steam it, or make it into a soup?

The parrot seemed to feel the threat to its life in Chunhua’s hungry look. In desperation, it spoke. “A day apart is like a sundering of three years. Not seeing you for a day makes me wild with longing. In autumn next year…”

The servants in the room couldn’t help staring at the parrot. His Highness had kept it for over a month before giving it to the duchess…

Chunhua shut the parrot’s beak at once, not letting it speak in front of others again. Only when he had brought the parrot into his bedroom did he release its beak.

The parrot must have felt stifled. As soon as Chunhua let go, it started to babble again. “Fishhawks cry guan-guan, on the islet in the stream. Fair is the good fellow, fit bride to match a prince’s dream.”

Fair is the good fellow… Chunhua couldn’t help laughing aloud. He reached out a finger to stroke the parrot’s feathers.

“A decade of death separates us now. I try not to long for you, but I cannot forget…” the parrot said suddenly.

Chunhua froze.

Being parted by death was an event from their previous lifetime. The young emperor had stood guard over this nation alone for thirteen whole years.

Both in the modern day and in the game world, the young doctor had never mentioned those thirteen years. He had seen his lover upon awakening, the two of them had gotten together smoothly and naturally, and as for how the young emperor had spent those long thirteen years, no one knew about it.

That night, Chunhua didn’t go to Prince Jing’s residence. The guards whom Prince Jing had dismissed waited all night, but no one showed up. The next day, when Prince Jing rose, his expression was unchanged, but there were rather heavy shadows under his eyes.

For several days, Prince Jing was quiet. Since the gifts had been delivered to Duchess Chunhua’s residence next door, nothing had been heard from it. There was no way to know what was happening.

It was the evening of the seventh day when the parrot was sent back.

Prince Jing carried the cage to his bedroom and fed the parrot, which ate happily, then recited, “Through partings in life in death, we pledged we would not sever. Holding hands we said, that we would grow old together.”

Prince Jing’s hand, still holding food for the parrot, paused slightly.

A pair of arms reached out from behind to embrace Prince Jing tightly. A deep voice said in his ear, “In the last life we were parted by death, in this life we will never abandon each other. I’m sorry. I left you alone for over a decade, I’m sorry…”

Prince Jing squeezed his arms and said quietly, “It has nothing to do with you. It was my own choice. I knew three years after you passed away that I was a person in reality and could follow you there, but still chose to remain. The following ten years are my own responsibility. You shouldn’t burden yourself with them.”

“I finally understand why you wanted to have our honeymoon here,” Yun Ruifeng said softly. “This is where we started, and here is the source of our happiness. Our most wonderful memories are of this place.”

“It’s not as romantic as that. I just wanted to see whether Emperor Ning’an became as magnanimous an emperor as I anticipated. Now it seems that I wasn’t mistaken when I chose him,” Prince Jing said, smiling.

He had only made a few alterations aimed at making the game more suitable for tourism. As for the background of the game and its NPCs, he had made no changes whatsoever. Everything Emperor Ning’an had done was of his own volition. Just as Emperor Jingren had anticipated, he had become an outstanding emperor.

Yun Ruifeng kissed Prince Jing’s ear. Holding the earlobe in his mouth, he said indistinctly, “If this game one day becomes obsolete, we’ll get a supercomputer, buy the game’s data, and run it on the supercomputer. Then this game can continue forever. All right?”

This was the place of their first meeting. Without this game, he might never have had a chance to fall in love with a person as accomplished and adorable as Shen Zhiwei.

“Is there any need for you to worry yourself about that? It has been taken care of,” said Prince Jing with a smile. “As long as I live, this place will not disappear.”

The night was chilly, with a cold wind. Yun Ruifeng couldn’t bear to let Prince Jing stand too long, so he carried his long-unseen lover to the bed.

Prince Jing wrapped his arms around Yun Ruifeng and graced him with a lingering kiss.

“Chunhua…Duchess Chunhua, some time from now, you will be my princess,” said Prince Jing with a sigh.

“It is the happiness of several lifetimes to be able to spend my life with Your Highness.” Chunhua shed his clothes and laid his hands on either side of Prince Jing, then slowly lowered his head.

Long, long was the night…

The next day, Duchess Chunhua got out of bed in his own residence as usual, while Prince Jing woke in his own bedroom. For several days after that, no one realized that Duchess Chunhua was disobeying the rules to meet Prince Jing privately in the middle of the night.

It was some days later when Prince Jing’s parrot opened its mouth when Prince Zhou came to visit Prince Jing and cried out: “Ah… Yes… Oh… You’re too big… Ah… I…”

Prince Jing clamped his hand around the parrot’s beak and gave Prince Zhou a smile. Then he put a black cloth over the parrot's cage and ordered his servants to take the parrot next door to be trained.

With a smile that said “no need to explain,” Prince Zhou said quietly to Prince Jing, “Don’t be so nervous, Prince Jing. We’re all men here. I understand. The duchess hasn’t crossed your threshold yet. Who could expect you to remain chaste for her? This must be your Chunhua. From the voice alone it’s clear she must be a rare marvel. If any of the twittering girls in my residence had such a rapturous voice, now that really would be…”

“Servants,” interrupted Prince Jing with a cold look at Prince Zhou, “show my guest to the door.”

“Huh?” Looking perplexed, Prince Zhou was politely shown the door by the residence’s steward.

That night, when Duchess Chunhua scaled the wall, he was faced with the onslaught of several vicious dogs. It was days before he could enter Prince Jing’s residence again. Duchess Chunhua was furious and ordered the parrot to be disciplined. If it couldn’t learn to talk properly, then it would be braised!

—

After a year of clandestine relations, Prince Jing and Duchess Chunhua’s wedding day at last arrived. Clad in red and riding a white horse, Prince Jing went next door to pick up Duchess Chunhua, who was also in masculine attire.

Duchess Chunhua, looking uncommonly handsome in red robes and gold crown, astride a black horse, met Prince Jing’s eyes and smiled.

The descendants of Duke Zhenguo, the bloodline of Empress Xiao, did not abandon the customs of Mobei even when they were married, nor the traditions of the Xiao family. There was no sedan and no veil; the brides rode through the streets alongside their husbands.

Today’s dazzling vision, red-robed upon a fine steed, enchanted countless boys and girls. No one said Duchess Chunhua was violating protocol. Everyone sighed and remarked that the daughters of the Xiao family were truly heroic.

If only one could have a daughter like Xiao Chunhua or marry a woman of the Xiao family. A woman who could go to war, who belonged on the battlefield; a woman who could face foreign invaders, who could defeat an enemy army. A woman like this was truly beyond compare!

Xiao Chunhua was beside himself.

He felt that this whole world’s aesthetic sensibilities had been ruined.

Though the commentary about Duchess Chunhua following the wedding ceremony was a little embarrassing to him, he was actually quite satisfied with the wedding itself. The wedding clothes had been delivered only the day before. Until then, he had been convinced that he would have to put a bride’s finery, embroidered slippers and veil included, onto his powerful build and ride in a flower-bedecked sedan. Chunhua was used to wearing women’s clothes by now and didn’t mind doing it again for his wedding, but he felt a little bad for the sedan carriers, who would think they were carrying a delicate young mistress, when unbeknownst to them the sedan contained a big, strapping soldier.

So when the wedding clothes were delivered, Duchess Chunhua was utterly relieved. He’d known that Prince Jing wanted a real and perfect wedding for the two of them. How could he let it turn into a farce?

Husband and wife rode through the streets together, crossed the threshold together, and raised toasts together—none of it was according to the rules, but all of it was satisfying.

The game helmets loyally recorded the wedding, saving it to their chips. No matter how many years passed, if the chip was inserted into the helmet, they could relive this wedding as though they were there again.

This was the most wonderful wedding, the one most worth remembering.

Old Marquis Zhenbei stood in as a parent for them both. When husband and wife made their toasts, his old face opened into a smile like a blooming flower. There was no need for anyone to press wine on him; he drank to inebriation all on his own.

At the wedding feast, everyone tried to make Prince Jing drink. Some were just joining in for the fun of it, while others wanted to see the always solemn and composed Prince Jing forget himself. Sadly, all these hopes were disappointed. Prince Jing only drank two cups; the rest were taken by Duchess Chunhua.

Most people didn’t feel comfortable proposing toasts once Duchess Chunhua came forward. But there were also busybodies like Prince Zhou who complained that a husband couldn’t possibly let his wife drink for him. If Duchess Chunhua insisted on drinking, then he would have to drink three cups.

Their intention had been to force Prince Jing to drink by putting Duchess Chunhua in a difficult position. But it turned out that Duchess Chunhua was a true hero among women. Without a word of demur, he drank three cups in a row, so Prince Zhou had no choice but to drink his cup as well.

By the end of the feast, no one was left upright save Duchess Chunhua and Prince Jing. Duchess Chunhua had drunk all the guests under the table.

Prince Jing knew that Duchess Chunhua’s alcohol tolerance was bottomless, so he wasn’t concerned. When the last one fell, he merely instructed the servants to help all the guests go lie down to rest. He himself took Duchess Chunhua by the hand and went to their room.

But when they reached their room, the apparently clear-headed and wide-eyed Duchess Chunhua refused to let go of his hand, and even leaned forward and bit his nose!

Prince Jing’s nose stung from the bite. A little irritated, he said, “What’s gotten into you?”

Duchess Chunhua bit him again, but this time it was much gentler. Afterward, he kept rubbing the tip of his nose against the tip of Prince Jing’s nose, pestering him like a child.

Prince Jing’s expression softened. “Are you drunk?”

“A bit dizzy.” Duchess Chunhua leaned his head against Prince Jing’s shoulder.

“I’ve never seen you drunk before. Seems you really had too much to drink today.” Prince Jing helped him to bed. Duchess Chunhua’s steps were steady; in fact, he wasn’t having any trouble walking. It was just that he insisted on sticking to Prince Jing.

When they reached the bed, Chunhua for once didn’t eagerly peel Prince Jing’s clothes off. Instead, he gazed at him without blinking. His eyes followed Prince Jing wherever he went. Prince Jing tapped him on the forehead and asked, “What are you looking at?”

“Looking at how happy I am.” Chunhua grabbed Prince Jing’s hand and gently kissed the back of it. A little lugubriously, he said, “I was ready to spend the rest of my life alone in the real world missing you when the game was over. I never expected that I would be able to marry you. No matter where we go, we’ll be together.”

Prince Jing regarded Chunhua for a while, then put his arms around his waist and said softly, “Me too. I’m so happy.”

Happy that we met, happy that we became close, happy that we came together.

—

Over a decade later, when Emperor Ning’an had reached the end of his life and was ready to choose the next emperor, he once again asked Prince Jing whether he was sure he didn’t want to inherit the throne.

No matter how many times he asked, Prince Jing gave him the same answer.

In the previous life, I gave him up for the sake of the world. I want nothing in this life but to spend it with him, to travel to every corner of this beautiful realm.

In this life, I will forsake the world for you.

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