Jié Qiáng and Yǒng Wěi hurried through Mîn Jíng’s courtyard toward her private room. They were eager to tell her about the children, who were waiting in the private hall. Féng Wěi had stayed with them as Péi, Súnzi, and several servant women helped the children with their new clothes.

 As they reach Mîn Jíng’s door, Sī emerged with a breakfast tray of uneaten food. She bowed respectfully.

 “Your highnesses,” she acknowledged them.

 “Is Mîn awake?” asked Yǒng Wěi.

 Sī shook her head sadly and replied, “No, your highness. The princess cried all night thinking of the children. I brought her breakfast and hot tea with sleeping herbs, but she didn’t want to eat. She finally fell asleep a few hours ago as the sun started to rise.”

 “Leave the tray for another servant to tend to,” Yǒng Wěi ordered. “We may need you.”

 “Yes, your highness,” Sī obeyed.

 She waved over a passing servant and handed him the tray, then stood outside of her mistress’ door as the two men went inside.

 Jié Qiáng sat on the wooden edge of her bed while Yǒng Wěi stood to the side. Brushing her hair away from her face, Jié Qiáng watched her sleep. Her eyes were terribly swollen and her cheeks were still wet from her tears. He took a silk scarf from his inside pocket and patted her face dry.

 He looked down at her hand draped over her waist and took it to hold. He smiled as he stroked her hand with his thumb. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, and he wanted nothing more at that moment than to climb into bed with her and have her sleep in his arms.

 Mîn Jíng started to awaken but kept her eyes closed. She could feel someone holding her hand and caressing her cheek and knew it was him. Her head hurt from a night of crying, and she knew anything she said to him would make him feel guilty about taking her away.

 She had stayed up all night trying to think of what to do about the orphans. She wanted desperately for them to be safe, but did that mean she had to give up her life with the only man she loved? Was she being selfish and cruel if she didn’t sacrifice her happiness for the sake of those innocent children?

 As she thought about it again, her bottom lip started to quiver.

 “Shhh…” she heard him say as he held her hand closer. “I have a surprise for you,” he said, but she wanted nothing from him or anyone.

 “Please leave me alone,” she whispered, eyes still shut to hold back fresh tears. “I want to be alone for a while.”

 Jié Qiáng sighed and looked over at Yǒng Wěi for assistance.

 “Mîn Mîn,” Yǒng Wěi said, “you’ll want this surprise.” When she refused to say anything, he continued. “Your husband even asked Father for his blessing, and we’ve arranged everything for you to receive his gift.”

 Mîn Jíng huffed a little. She wasn’t angry with them, and what Yǒng Wěi said about including their father intrigued her. Her heart was still hurting so much, she couldn’t even force herself to get out of bed.

 Jié Qiáng smiled knowing she was going to be happy very soon. 

 “All right, my beautiful wife,” he relented.

 He leaned down and kissed her cheek, then pulled the blanket higher.  He stood from her bed and motioned for her brother to follow him outside.

 As soon as the doors were closed, Jié Qiáng told Sī in a quiet voice, “No matter how much she argues, have her dressed as soon as possible. She’ll have visitors soon.”

 Yǒng Wěi grinned when he realized what Jié Qiáng planned and hurried away with him.

 Sī returned to her mistress’ bedside to do as she was ordered, fearing she would fail when the state of the princess seemed so hopeless.

 “Your highness,” she said softly, “Prince Jié Qiáng told me to help you dress. He and your brother are bringing someone here to see you.”

 Mîn Jíng breathed deeply and continued to lie in bed with her eyes closed against the sun. She had slept almost the entire morning, and all she wanted was to continue sleeping until the pain went away.

 She wondered whom they were bringing to visit her in her private room. The only people she could imagine her father would allow to intrude in such a manner were the Nü Daoshi from the Shangqing School. If the person was from the school, she didn’t want to be seen in this sad state.

 Reluctantly, Mîn Jíng pulled away the blanket and sat on the edge of the bed. Sī brought the water basin closer to help her wash. As soon as she was done cleaning, she let Sī dress her in a set of pretty robes and arrange her hair.

 “Your boots, your highness,” Sī said, holding up the last article of clothing to be worn.

 “No need,” Mîn Jíng told her and lay back onto the bed.

 Moments later, there was a knock on the door. Sī hurried to answer it before her mistress could order her to lock it. She opened the door to find Jié Qiáng and Yǒng Wěi standing at the threshold with the group of orphans.

 Jié Qiáng put his finger to his smiling lips to order silence from Sī. He nudged the children to hurry into the room quietly. The moment they saw their princess asleep on the bed, they ran and jumped up to join her.

 Mîn Jíng shrieked at the audacious intrusion and sat straight up with her eyes wide and mouth open in shock.

 “Princess Mîn! Princess Mîn!” the children shouted all around her, hugging her tightly.

 It took a few moments for her to understand what she was seeing. She instinctively returned their hugs and stared at Jié Qiáng and Yǒng Wěi for an explanation.

 “It was all your husband’s doing,” Yǒng Wěi told her. “He met with all of us last night and begged father to release the children into your care. You’ll bring them with you to his palace.”

 “What?” Mîn Jíng muttered in the middle of a gasping breath.

 Her eyes once again swelled with tears as the words slowly made their way through her foggy mind. She looked down at the children still hugging her, and for the first time, noticed they were in nice new clothes. She could smell the fresh scent of rosewater in their hair and over their clean skin.

 “How did...?” she was confused about everything and could barely speak as she touched their clothes and looked to the two men in question.

 “Féng Wěi had the servants buy clothes and give them baths,” Jié Qiáng answered. “He’s having food prepared for them now if you would like to join them for breakfast.”

 Mîn Jíng looked the children over once again as the smallest little girl curled up in her lap.

 “Zăo,” she called out to the oldest boy. He was standing near the bed but dared not climb onto it with the princess. “Come,” she told him softly as she waved him over.

 Jié Qiáng watched the situation carefully and felt pity for Zăo. He remembered what the others had told him about the boy and worried he would have the hardest time of all.

 When the children had gathered in the king’s study after they first arrived, he was holding onto the smallest of the children with a wild look in his eyes. Yǒng Wěi had to assure him several times that they were there to see Mîn Jíng and nothing bad was going to happen to them.

 Both Yǒng Wěi and Yáng Ning had to hurry to the temple where the children were found so they could calm him down. He believed they were being kidnapped for something terrible and fought against the men sent to retrieve them.

 As soon as one of the men tried to fight back against his defensive attacks, Yáng Ning protected him. He stood between the man and the boy and had even threatened to draw his sword if the man didn’t back away. After that, Yáng Ning was the only one Zăo wanted near him.

 He followed Yáng Ning through the palace and stayed as close as possible to his hero all morning. When it was time to bathe the children and give them their new clothes, he would only follow Yáng Ning and insisted the guard stay just outside the door when he bathed. As Yáng Ning helped to escort the children to Mîn Jíng’s room, Zăo held his hand tightly in fear of the uncertainty of why they were really there.

 Zăo shyly stepped around another child leaning on the bed to stand beside Mîn Jíng. He looked down and up again, then down once more. He allowed Mîn Jíng to take his hand but still didn’t look at her or anyone else.

 “Is this all right?” she asked him gently.

 He stood silent for a bit, then replied through tears, “Were you really going to leave us?”

 It had been explained to the children that morning about the marriage, but he didn’t want to believe his friend would leave him when she was the only adult he could trust for the year they had been in the capital.

 At his words, the other children settled down and waited for her answer.

 Mîn Jíng sniffed back more tears as they looked at her with an accusation of abandonment and betrayal in their eyes. She squeezed Zăo’s hand tightly and pulled the children closer.

 “I’m marrying Prince Qiáng so we can bring peace to our two kingdoms,” she explained. “There are bad people who want to hurt all of us, but when we join our armies, we can be rid of them forever.”

 She felt Zăo’s grip on her hand tighten and heard him gasp. She looked up at him and saw new fear on his face.

 “They won’t hurt any of you,” she told him and looked back at the other children with the same determination. “You’ll all be with me and Prince Qiáng. We won’t let anyone do anything to any of you.

 I’m sorry my responsibility to the kingdom almost separated us,” she continued. “I stayed up all night trying to think of a way to be with you. It was my husband who thought of a plan first, so we should all thank him.”

 She looked to him and smiled warmly when the children began thanking him and several ran to give him a hug.

 “Are we really going with you to the prince’s palace?” asked a young girl who had discovered Xiù Xiù trying to hop onto the bed.

 She held the rabbit and gently pet it while they waited for an answer.

 Mîn Jíng looked at Jié Qiáng and smiled happily.

 “Yes,” she answered with a cheerful voice. “Prince Qiáng has arranged everything so you can all travel with us to his kingdom and live in his palace with me.”

 “Wow!” the children all said in unison and began sharing their thoughts on what they imagined their new home would be like.

 Once again, Mîn Jíng felt Zăo’s hand tighten. She looked up at him in concern, worried the move would frighten him enough to send him into his shell again. He had the look of fear from when she mentioned the enemy, and she began to wonder if it had anything to do with his past.

 Yǒng Wěi interrupted to remind them about their meal.

 “The food is probably ready, children, if you’re hungry,” he announced and laughed at their excited cheer.

 Mîn Jíng watched Zăo closely as he helped the smaller children climb across the bed. She was prepared to work hard again to elicit an answer from him. She was sure his fear had nothing to do with their move. He could live in a safe place where he wouldn’t have to sacrifice more of his childhood as the guardian of the other children. They would be well fed, clothed, and see her more often.

 She would have to discuss her concerns later with Jié Qiáng. For the time being, the most pressing issue was joining her children.

 “Hurry, Princess Mîn!” they called and she pulled the blankets away to stand from the bed.

 Jié Qiáng lifted her in his arms before her feet could touch the floor, and the children laughed.

 “She was taking too long,” he told them with a grin. “Your children are hungry, wife,” he teased and carried her out the door.