The etiquette at the Gu clan’s ancestral hall was extremely elaborate, but Jun Beiyue showed no impatience, following every custom one by one. As his wife, Ziqing followed silently at Jun Beiyue’s side, kneeling and bowing for most of the day without a single word of complaint!

Having never had a mother of her own, Ziqing perhaps couldn’t fully understand Jun Beiyue’s feelings toward his birth mother, but she could understand what he felt.

Within the palace, without a mother to shield you, you had to leave no weaknesses, no leverage for others to seize upon. Without a mother to shield you, you had to grow wise beyond your years, had to grow up early, and learn to protect yourself.

Hadn’t Ziqing grown up the very same way?

The memorial tablet was enshrined in the Gu clan’s ancestral hall with great solemnity, but Jun Beiyue did not formally return to the family registry. What he and Ziqing knelt and bowed to was not so much the ancestors of the Gu clan, but his birth mother alone.

Jun Beiyue did not bring it up himself, and continued to address the Patriarch as “Old Gu.” The Patriarch, seeing this, did not press the matter either. As for the position of clan head, Jun Beiyue likewise never mentioned it.

That night, the Patriarch severely punished several hall masters and promoted a number of young members. Meanwhile, Jun Beiyue and Ziqing drank at a tavern at the foot of the mountain.

After a full day of turmoil, Ziqing had unconsciously put behind her all the embarrassment from the night before. Facing this man now felt much more natural.

Seeing him fall silent, pouring cup after cup of wine down his throat, Ziqing couldn’t help but frown, but she didn’t say anything to stop him. Instead, she had the waiter stew some soup, and silently pushed it toward him—he understood what she meant without her having to say it.

Jun Beiyue glanced at it, then set down his wine cup and pushed the soup toward her instead. “Be good, you drink it. I don’t like drinking soup after nightfall.”

“Wine is meant to lift one’s spirits, not to harm the body,” Ziqing said flatly, not even realizing she had begun to worry about his health.

“Then I simply won’t drink it!” Jun Beiyue said with a smile, and truly set down his wine cup.

“Drink some hot soup, it’s good for your stomach.” Ziqing pushed it toward him again, knowing his mood wasn’t good but not knowing how to console him—she wasn’t used to comforting people either.

But to her surprise, Jun Beiyue laughed and said, “Are you satisfied with this outcome?”

Wasn’t he unhappy?

Ziqing nodded. As for the handling of Gu Suying, it matched what she had expected. But not making Jiang Chen divorce Gu Meiting had been unexpected—sending her back to the Jiang family undoubtedly meant the Jiang household would know no peace, and Gu Meiting wouldn’t fare much better either!

What surprised her most, however, was Madam Gu—reduced to a concubine in her old age. What a devastating blow that must have been!

“How… do you plan to take over the Gu clan?” Ziqing asked. This, after all, was the crux of the matter!

Given his status as a prince, he could never formally join the family registry—perhaps that was precisely why the memorial tablet bore no name today.

“On the night of the fifteenth of the tenth month, the sacred mulberry tree will bloom beneath the moonlight. At the end of the year, on the fifteenth of the twelfth month, is the Bai clan’s grand priestly ceremony, which is also the ranking battle for new nobility on the Isle of Immortal Retreat. We’ll return then to deal with this matter. The war between Xichu and Xijing is nearly over—we need to go back.”

As Jun Beiyue spoke, he sat down beside her and pulled her into his embrace. He seemed to quite enjoy holding her like this—he was so tall, and she so petite, that seated on his lap, her entire body fit perfectly within his arms.

He seemed lazily at ease, but Ziqing was suddenly startled. “The fifteenth of the tenth month—that’s tonight!”

Seeing Ziqing’s delighted expression, Jun Beiyue’s previously somewhat clouded mood immediately brightened. He laughed. “That’s right. Now that the troublemakers have been dealt with, let me take you to see the true beauty of the Isle of Immortal Retreat!”

Beauty?

Ziqing was truly puzzled. She had never heard of, let alone seen, the sacred mulberry tree blooming.

In the dead of night, even with bright moonlight, one couldn’t see very clearly—how beautiful could it possibly be?

Jun Beiyue smiled mysteriously, personally ladling out hot soup and feeding it to her. “Finish this, and I’ll take you!”

“You drink it too. You’ve only just recovered from serious injuries; your body needs nourishment.” Ziqing spoke earnestly—the tonic she had given him before had all been laced with that drug poison.

“Remember, I don’t like drinking soup after nightfall. Be good, open your mouth.” Jun Beiyue was very gentle. Ziqing had no choice but to obediently open her mouth, puzzling over why he had developed this habit of never drinking stewed soup after dark—though she didn’t dwell on it further.

Once the large bowl of stewed soup was finished, the two of them headed toward the Bai clan’s territory…

By now, the moon hung bright and the stars were sparse; the entire Isle of Immortal Retreat was quiet. At the docks, guards patrolled back and forth. A disheveled figure darted here and there, hiding—none other than Gu Suying!

She had to leave the Isle of Immortal Retreat tonight.

Otherwise, once news of her expulsion from the Gu clan was announced tomorrow, she would become someone no one on the Isle dared to shelter, no one dared to associate with—lower even than a beggar. Leaving would then become utterly impossible!

The Gu clan’s guards were just changing shifts with the Yu clan’s guards. She carefully avoided them, straightened her clothes, covered her face, and clutched the most valuable hairpin she owned. To leave the Isle of Immortal Retreat, she would need either an outside ship to fetch her, or to stow away on a supply vessel.

Gu Suying chose the Yu clan’s ship, hoping to escape this disaster!

But just as she was about to slip out, someone suddenly gripped her shoulder from behind. Gu Suying was so startled she nearly cried out, but fortunately the person clamped a hand over her mouth in time!

She turned around, and her eyes widened instantly. Never in her wildest imagination would she have guessed it would be him—Xuanyuan Lige!

“Let me help you escape—how about it?” Xuanyuan Lige said in a low voice, his pale face looking extremely weak even under the harsh moonlight.

Gu Suying immediately nodded frantically. Traveling with Xuanyuan Lige’s ship would be absolutely foolproof!

Xuanyuan Lige released his hand, and she immediately said, “As long as Young Master Xuanyuan takes me away, I’ll do anything you ask!”

“You’re very clever,” Xuanyuan Lige said flatly.

“Young Master Xuanyuan likes Han Ziqing—I could tell, back at Qinse Valley!” Gu Suying said bluntly. She knew perfectly well Xuanyuan Lige wouldn’t have sought her out for no reason.

“Cleverness isn’t a woman’s greatest asset,” Xuanyuan Lige said quietly. Gu Suying tried hard to detect some emotion in his voice, at least to gauge how much interest he had in her, but she couldn’t discern anything at all!

“I know Jun Beiyue’s true parentage. I’m on my way to expose him to the Great Zhou imperial family!” If it was an asset he wanted, she had one!

Hearing this, Xuanyuan Lige finally smiled. He truly hadn’t misjudged her—the Second Miss of the Gu family was indeed a ruthless one!

“The fifth ship on the right up ahead. The Seventh Prince of Great Zhou will be waiting for you at the dock.” Xuanyuan Lige said this and turned to leave, but Gu Suying suddenly sucked in a sharp breath of cold air—this man had already arranged everything in advance? Had he anticipated all along that someone from the Gu clan would come to this?

Gu Suying didn’t dwell on it further, hurrying eagerly on her way. Escaping the Isle of Immortal Retreat meant, to her, a chance at rebirth—otherwise, tomorrow she would fall into hell itself!

What kind of person was the Seventh Prince of Great Zhou?

She stated her identity and boarded the ship. The vessel didn’t linger for even a moment, setting sail immediately. Only then did Gu Suying breathe a sigh of relief. Gazing up at the towering peak of the Isle of Immortal Retreat, she suddenly shouted out, “Jun Beiyue, Han Ziqing—this young lady will be waiting for you! I’ll be waiting for you both in Great Zhou when you return!”