Many years later, Yu Jiuzhou chose to abdicate, passing the throne to Chenchen. The new emperor’s reign title was Jingshun.
In the beginning, Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou worried that some people might take advantage of the transition to stir up trouble. They didn’t rush to leave the capital to begin their seafaring plans. Instead, they prepared to rest at the imperial villa for two years, waiting until Chenchen had a firm grasp on her duties before they departed.
As it happened, the naval expedition had not yet returned. By the time the fleet came back and was refitted, the timing would be just about right.
Finally, Chi Wan had a good night’s sleep with Yu Jiuzhou in her arms. It was a day without an early start, a day where she could lie in bed for as long as she pleased.
It had to be said, Yu Jiuzhou was a diligent monarch. She rose every day at mao hour, the only variation being whether it was the beginning or the end of the hour. Nothing could change this routine.
Chi Wan loved sleeping while holding her wife—so soft and comfortable. When her wife was gone in the morning, she couldn’t stay in bed either and had no choice but to get up with her.
And so, for many years, she had risen early alongside her wife. Even after mastering her internal energy, she still woke at dawn.
Every morning, she would lead Yu Jiuzhou in practicing martial arts, and then they would handle official business together. They were able to spend half of each day in each other’s company.
But they rarely had time to be affectionate; most of it was spent on work.
Now that she finally had the chance to sleep in, she found that just lying there was boring. Yu Jiuzhou was about to get up when Chi Wan pulled her back down.
“Let’s lie in a little longer.”
Yu Jiuzhou sighed helplessly and lay back down.
This time, Chi Wan wrapped her arms and legs around her, trapping her in an embrace. This feeling of being free from all responsibilities was truly wonderful. No wonder everyone looked forward to retirement.
“What should we do today?”
The imperial villa was vast. They had planned to spend their retirement here, so they had it rebuilt in advance and had people manage it.
It was fashioned after a southern garden estate, a residence with five courtyards. The first courtyard was the gate hall, the second was the main hall for hosting events, the third housed offices for officials, the fourth was their living quarters, and the fifth was a garden.
This grand five-courtyard residence occupied only a fifth of the villa’s grounds, which gave an idea of just how large the estate was, and that wasn’t even including the mountain behind it.
Though called a villa, it could be considered a temporary palace. It had fields for growing vegetables, rice, and wheat, as well as enclosures for livestock and ponds for raising fish.
The living quarters were some distance from these areas; the livestock pens, in particular, were a walk of over ten minutes away.
Farmland, pastures, workshops, storehouses, landscaped grounds, flower gardens, and even sports facilities for horse riding and hunting—the imperial villa was completely self-sufficient and offered a life of abundance. It was designed to have everything one could possibly need.
This was only their first day at the villa, and they had yet to explore it. They could think of something fun to do.
Chenchen had just ascended the throne. The year was still the twenty-third of the Zhengtong era. To have accomplished all their goals in twenty-three years was a feat few emperors could manage.
Moreover, the two of them were still young. Perhaps due to their cultivation of internal energy, they looked to be in their late twenties, not yet thirty. Their black hair fell to their shoulders, and aside from a more mature air, their faces were free of even the finest lines.
Chi Wan felt no issues with her body, nor did she ever feel strained. She felt as light as she had at seventeen or eighteen, perhaps even better.
Such were the benefits of internal energy. That mistress of Wudang, having achieved great mastery, had lived for over a hundred and fifty years. It was likely because in her later years she had sealed herself off, sitting motionless in one place, which extended her life even further.
If Chi Wan, for example, chose to sit in motionless meditation when she reached a hundred, there was no telling how long she might live.
But there was no need. She only wanted to be with Yu Jiuzhou. She couldn’t bring herself to remain motionless just to live a few extra decades.
As for Yu Jiuzhou, nourished by Chi Wan’s internal energy and supplemented by her own cultivation, she had made up for her late start. Chi Wan had even improved the techniques for her.
After years of effort, Yu Jiuzhou’s internal energy had also become profound. To have started cultivating at twenty and reached such a level was already quite remarkable.
For the two of them, cultivating for two hours was enough to go a full day without sleep. When things were busy, Yu Jiuzhou would use this method.
But they weren’t busy now; in fact, they were quite at leisure.
However, so that Yu Jiuzhou could live longer and spend more years with her, Chi Wan suddenly sat up. “Let’s cultivate.”
Yu Jiuzhou tilted her head to look at her, amused, but still sat cross-legged opposite her.
They held hands, letting them rest naturally, and began to circulate their energy. Before long, they were covered in sweat but felt refreshed and clear-headed.
The two-hour cultivation session passed quickly. Meditating for two hours in the morning and two in the evening, day after day, kept their bodies strong.
Afterward, they practiced martial arts together, focusing on their health.
Even after doing all that, it was still early. A glance at the time showed it was only si hour, just past nine in the morning. They were truly diligent.
After a breakfast of fresh shepherd’s purse and meat buns, fragrant lamb pancakes, and a bowl of lamb and vermicelli soup, they felt warm all over.
“How about we go fishing?”
The two of them had truly never experienced such a leisurely life and were at a loss for what to do.
But fishing was certainly a good option. Whether you caught anything or not, you could sit there all day.
If you caught a fish, you’d want to keep fishing, energized by the admiring glances of those nearby. If you came up empty, you’d naturally vow to catch one that day.
If you still failed, you wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, your mind still consumed with fishing the next day.
Yu Jiuzhou had no objections. Whether it was fishing or anything else, as long as Chi Wan was by her side, she was happy.
“We can bring some food and treat it like camping.”
Chi Wan’s eyes lit up. “Great idea.”
In this era without mobile phones or the internet, most of the activities they could enjoy were closer to nature. She didn’t share the hobbies of the nobility, preferring to listen to music or storytelling.
She had even written plays. Unlike traditional opera, these spoken dramas were not well-received at first, but that didn’t matter. She had written them for her own enjoyment.
Later, plays became a genre of their own, and theaters gradually appeared.
What Chi Wan loved most was listening to storytellers. With a pot of tea, she could sit for an entire afternoon, listening to the storyteller narrate the latest tales. It was more interesting than listening to audiobooks on a phone, though the plots lacked some of the innovation of modern web novels.
That was why she loved listening to history. The stories of anyone who had left their name in the annals of history could be told for an entire day.
Some could even be told for much longer and were more interesting than fiction.
Listening to the life of Zhang Juzheng, for instance, was like listening to a novel about the imperial examinations, and he had successfully become Grand Secretary and implemented reforms.
The life of the Second Phoenix was like something out of a power fantasy—winning a battle with three thousand five hundred against one hundred fifty thousand. It was inhuman!
The life of Lü Zhi, the first recorded empress and empress dowager in history. After the First Emperor established the imperial system, she was the first woman to rule from behind the curtain. She met a scoundrel of a man, but she seized power. Her series of political measures were formidable. Aside from meeting a scoundrel, her life was quite satisfying.
And then there was the life of Mi Yue. Her youth was difficult, but she later held power in the state of Qin. Ninety percent of monarchs couldn’t compare to her during her time as regent. If not for her, where would Qin have gone at that time? She absolutely served as a crucial link, laying the foundation for Qin’s unification of the six states.
There were so many other figures in history. Pluck any one of them out, and their story would be fascinating. Many of them had lived lives worthy of a power fantasy.
Although these specific people did not exist in Great Zhou’s timeline, the world would repair itself, making its own history complete.
The countries and people were different, but the course of history was largely similar. It was interesting to listen to, like getting to know new characters.
The imperial villa not only had storytellers but more than one—after all, they needed to rest. There were also drama troupes and various opera troupes.
Normally, they could return to the capital’s theaters, but if they wanted to watch something here, the troupes could be summoned at any time.
The imperial villa was like a small city, with everything one could need. Living here for two years wouldn’t be boring at all; you just had to find your own fun.
Fishing wasn’t a bad idea. Back at the palace, Chi Wan often fished with a rod. As for her skill… well, the fish in the pond had all grown fat.
Arriving at the bank of the river that flowed through the villa, the first thing she did was prepare the spot with bait. Without bait, it was hard to get the fish to gather, and they were easier to catch when they were all in one place.
She cast her line into the water and stared intently at the surface.
The time it took to drink a cup of tea passed. Not a single nibble.
An hour passed. Still nothing.
Chi Wan glanced awkwardly at Yu Jiuzhou, who had the grill all set up, waiting for fish to cook. After an hour with no fish, she was now lying in a rocking chair, a cookbook in her hand, specifically one on grilling techniques.
After all, she didn’t know how to cook. When they had barbecues, others always did the work.
Since she had nothing else to do, she might as well learn, and it saved her from watching Chi Wan, which would only make the person who couldn’t catch a fish more embarrassed.
As lunchtime approached with not a single fish to show for it, Chi Wan finally stood up, took out the lamb and various vegetables from their homemade cooler, and silently sat down by the grill to start cooking.
Beside her, Yu Jiuzhou covered her face with her book and couldn’t help but start laughing, the sound growing louder and louder.
Chi Wan’s face grew darker and darker. Not only had she failed to catch a fish, but she was also being laughed at by her wife.
“I’ll definitely catch one this afternoon.”
She huffed. It must have been a bad spot. She would pick a better one in the afternoon and would definitely catch a fish. She would not come up empty.
Yu Jiuzhou smiled and replied, “I believe you.”
Hmph, she said she believed her, but the smile on her face couldn’t have been more obvious.
Chi Wan grilled the meat with a pout. She admitted it: she was terrible at fishing but loved to do it. Otherwise, the fish in the palace pond wouldn’t have grown so fat.
So fat they were tempting. Once, she had resorted to using a net. If she couldn’t catch them with a line, couldn’t she at least scoop them up?
Fishing was about waiting for the fish to come to you; netting was about her taking the initiative. With her sharp eyes and speed, no fish could escape her net.
Yu Jiuzhou walked over with a smile and leaned playfully on her back. “Are you angry?”
“Of course not.”
Feeling the soft body against her back, any anger she had vanished.
Chi Wan turned her head and gave Yu Jiuzhou’s shoulder a light bite. “Bad woman.”
“The bad woman wants to eat fish,” Yu Jiuzhou teased.
Hmm…
Chi Wan stood up, pinched Yu Jiuzhou’s cheek, and resignedly picked up her net. She walked to the riverbank, where plenty of fish were visible, happily feasting.
She had been very generous with the bait, throwing in a large amount. They had been eating for so long and still hadn’t finished.
If you eat my food, then you shall become my food.
Chi Wan spotted the one eating most enthusiastically and struck. Watching the fish thrash in the net, she swung it onto the ground. It was indeed a plump little fish.
As the fish flopped about, Xia Qu jogged over, grabbed it, and expertly cleaned it before placing it on the grill.
Chi Wan glanced at Xia Qu and waved for her to sit down. “You’re a countess, for goodness’ sake. What are you doing following us around every day?”
A third wheel. A massive third wheel.
Xia Qu casually flipped the food on the grill and rolled her eyes at her. “Should I go find Chun Gui? An Yizhi would probably chase me away. What about Qiu Lai? She and Zheng Yi are too lovey-dovey. You and Her Highness are affectionate, but it’s still watchable. Them? I can’t even look. As for Dong Ying…”
She was most afraid of Dong Ying, so she would never hang around with her.
Chi Wan couldn’t help but gossip. “You don’t want to be with Yu Xingchen at all?”
The old princess consort had passed away. It was said that she had been very regretful at the time, saying that as long as Yu Xingchen married, it didn’t matter who it was. But Yu Xingchen had still refused.
In the old princess consort’s eyes, not marrying was already unfilial. If she were to marry someone her mother disliked, she would be caught between her mother and her wife. Already unfilial, she would then have to be dishonest. No matter whom she sided with, or if she sided with no one, it would be wrong. Trying to keep the peace? It would be impossible.
Rather than that, Yu Xingchen had made up her mind then and there. She would stay with her mother, see her through her final years, and then go to a border town to serve as a garrison commander. When Xia Qu was willing to be with her, she would return to the capital. And even if Xia Qu didn’t agree, she hoped she wouldn’t refuse the things she sent from so far away.
Xia Qu handed her a skewer of meat. “How do you know we’re not together?”
Chi Wan: “?”
She exchanged a look with Yu Jiuzhou. Clearly, she didn’t know either.
Xia Qu huffed. “We’re just not getting married. We never said we weren’t together.”
They were older now. Whether they married or not wasn’t important. Just being together like this was enough.
Chi Wan smiled. “That’s good too. Should she be transferred back, or will you go to her?”
Xia Qu lowered her head, embarrassed, and gave a dry laugh. “She’s been guarding the border for years; it’s time for her to come back and rest. It’s a good opportunity for the Second Princess to go.”
They all had faith in Guiyi’s abilities. She had earned no small number of merits over the years and had emerged as a standout among the new generation of military officers, the most formidable presence.
It was time to give the younger generation a chance.
Now that Chenchen had ascended the throne and Yuyu was holed up in her laboratory, Guiyi, who loved military life, was eager to return to the border. She had trained there before, staying for two years last time when she escorted a supply convoy.
She had come back this time to ask for their permission to remain at the border.
Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou had both agreed. There were plenty of positions at the border, but her status was too high. If she went to a post, would the commanding general listen to her, or would she listen to him?
Even if Guiyi were as humble as could be and insisted she would follow the general’s orders, the general wouldn’t dare!
After some thought, they felt they could send Guiyi to the East Sea. Xu Chenlu was an elder, so there would be no concern about a commander not daring to give orders.
But if Yu Xingchen returned, the next person to take the post of commanding general would be Chen Yuan. With Chen Yuan there, they wouldn’t have to worry about her being intimidated by Guiyi’s status as a princess.
They would just need to send Chen Yuan a secret letter, and she would know what to do.
Chi Wan nodded. “Alright. I’ll have someone tell Chenchen to issue the decree.”
Xia Qu smiled. “Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Your Highness the Prince.”
“Hmph, if you’re thanking us, then you’re in charge of this barbecue today.”
Chi Wan adopted the look of someone waiting to be fed, taking Yu Jiuzhou’s hand and sitting down beside her, waiting for Xia Qu to bring them the grilled food.
“Of course. It is my honor to let Your Highness and Your Highness the Prince sample my skills.”
At these words, Chi Wan nearly burst out laughing.
Since when had their General Xia become so well-versed in the ways of the world?
A faint smile played on Yu Jiuzhou’s lips. She took a small sip of her pre-Qingming tea—it had a nice flavor—and held it to Chi Wan’s lips for her to try as well.
“Not bad.”
It was indeed quite good. Chi Wan took the cup and had another sip.
The grilling Xia Qu couldn’t help but purse her lips. There were so many teacups, why did they have to share one?
After watching them display their affection for so many years, she had thought she was immune. In reality, she wasn’t at all. It was fine when she was single, but now that she and Yu Xingchen had made things official and were in a relationship, why was there no one to be affectionate with her?
As the three of them were grilling, a group of people approached, talking and laughing.
“Your Highness, Your Highness the Prince, you came to the imperial villa, but why did you only bring Xia Qu?”
“Yes, that’s so biased.”
“Somehow I feel like Xia Qu secretly followed you here.”
“That’s possible. That Xia Qu, she didn’t even tell us.”
“By the way, where’s Dong Ying?”
“Dong Ying? Doesn’t she know we were coming?”
They had run into each other at the villa gate and had tacitly decided to follow Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou.
They were all old comrades who had also retired. Since their lord and prince had come to the villa, what were they doing staying in the capital? Of course, they would follow them.
Looking at the group, Chi Wan sighed in resignation. Well, it seemed she was destined to spend the rest of her life with this bunch of old comrades.
The group came over and bowed in unison. “Your Highness, Your Highness the Prince.”
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. “Since you’re here, help out.”
With so many people, the food Xia Qu was grilling wouldn’t be enough.
Without any ceremony, each of the newcomers grabbed a skewer of lamb. Xia Qu: “?”
She had been grilling for so long and hadn’t eaten a single piece herself, and now these people had finished it all.
“Leave one for me!”
“You came here by yourself and you still want to eat? We’re not leaving you anything.”
“So it’s my fault you didn’t come, is that it?”
“We don’t care. You’re on grilling duty today.”
Xia Qu: “…” A bunch of terrible friends. None of them were good people.
Come to think of it, they had all known each other since they were young, for decades now.
The person they had known for the shortest time was probably Her Highness the Prince.
Qiu Lai sprinkled seasoning on the barbecue and looked at Xia Qu with a smile. “Did Her Highness the Prince catch the fish?”
Xia Qu lowered her eyes and chuckled. “With a net.”
“Oh~” She understood.
Qiu Lai let out a soft laugh. It seemed Her Highness the Prince had come up empty again.
It was common knowledge that when Her Highness the Prince went fishing, she came up empty five times out of ten, and for three of the remaining times, she just caught them with her hands.
Chi Wan couldn’t have missed their conversation. She let out a soft huff, then draped herself over Yu Jiuzhou’s lap like a spoiled child. “Wuwu, wifey, they’re bullying me.”
Yu Jiuzhou suppressed a laugh and gently stroked her head. “It’s alright, I’m not laughing.”
As if she wasn’t. The smile at the corner of her lips couldn’t have been more obvious.
Chi Wan wanted to cry even more. So what if she was bad at fishing? So what if she was just feeding the fish?! As long as she got to eat them in the end, that’s what mattered.
Wuwu, she still wanted to cry.
Why was fishing so hard? She had clearly used so much bait. If she stayed here for a few months, the fish in this river would probably all be fattened by her.
Yu Jiuzhou pinched her ear soothingly. “Let me teach you how to fish.”
“Okay!”
Chi Wan’s eyes sparkled. Yu Jiuzhou had only fished a few times, but she always caught a lot. It was as if even the fish had to take a person’s looks into account before biting the hook. Her bad woman’s charm was just that great.
The two sat by the river, and before long, Yu Jiuzhou had caught a fish.
“Her Highness is mighty!”
“Her Highness is so amazing!”
“Her Highness is invincible at fishing!”
Listen to them, just listen to them. This group of people, really.
Chi Wan was also very curious. “Wifey, why can you catch fish?”
Yu Jiuzhou said with amusement, “You threw in too much bait. They’re all full, so they can’t be bothered to eat yours. The bait shouldn’t be too big either, or they can’t bite it. By now, the full fish have left. The ones that came later have nothing to eat, so when they see your bait, they’ll naturally take the hook.”
So you’re using the art of war for fishing?
Chi Wan thought for a moment and cast her line in again, but still, no fish took the bait.
In contrast, Yu Jiuzhou had already caught several.
Could it be that she and fish were just incompatible? Was that why she couldn’t catch any?
Chi Wan huffed in frustration and once again took out her large net. She scooped up several fish in quick succession, and only then did her mood improve.
Yu Jiuzhou wanted to laugh, but with Chi Wan in this state, would it be right to laugh out loud?
So she just smiled very obviously, but without making a sound.
Chi Wan: “…Sister!”
“I’m not laughing.”
“I saw you.”
Yu Jiuzhou sighed helplessly. She glanced at the others, who immediately turned to look elsewhere upon catching her eye.
Seeing this, she immediately pressed a kiss to Chi Wan’s lips, even giving them a gentle nibble.
Although she had been bitten, Chi Wan’s mood soared. Her wife rarely took the initiative in front of so many people. Today was truly a rare occasion.
Chi Wan grinned and kissed her back. Her mood instantly brightened. What did not catching fish matter when she got a sweet kiss from her wife?
“Sister is the best.”
She smiled happily, and Yu Jiuzhou smiled along with her. “You rascal.”
“I am not.”
Chi Wan refused to admit she was a rascal. Instead, she said, “Sister is the bad woman.”
“Hmph.”
Yu Jiuzhou gave a charming little hum and pinched her waist.
After they finished eating, the group decided to have a fishing competition.
Chi Wan was well aware of her fishing skills—or more accurately, her fishing luck—so she didn’t participate. Instead, she sat beside Yu Jiuzhou, feeding her snacks and drinks.
Peeled nuts? Feed!
Sliced fruit? Feed!
Tea? Feed!
She dutifully served her wife.
When Yu Jiuzhou caught a fish, Chi Wan would scoop it up with the net. Soon, their bucket was full of fish.
The others had at most one or two. It was no contest. They simply couldn’t compare.
How could they? When Yu Jiuzhou fished, it wasn’t about skill, but pure luck. The fish bit her hook one after another, without a moment’s pause.
Watching this hidden talent, Chi Wan was green with envy. Why was fishing so hard for her, yet so simple for her wife?
But she was excited. At this rate, they were sure to win.
Before long, Xia Qu was the first to throw down her fishing rod. “I’m not competing anymore. I surrender. For every one I catch, Her Highness has already caught ten.”
The others finally looked over, and seeing how many fish Yu Jiuzhou had caught, they decisively threw down their rods as well.
“I’m done. I can’t win.”
“It’s like those fish are Her Highness’s pets. They’re too obedient.”
This was the first time Chi Wan had ever experienced such a feeling while fishing. She was always the one being laughed at. Today, under her wife’s lead, she could finally hold her head high.
“Sister is so amazing! Sister is the best! Sister, I love you!”
The others: “…” So shameless.
Yu Jiuzhou’s cheeks flushed slightly. This person, shouting such things out loud, how embarrassing.
Chi Wan lifted the bucket and poured the fish back into the river, asking defiantly, “Who else!”
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