He could almost see her, alone, riding across a thousand mountains and rivers through the shifting sands, racing desperately toward the capital amidst the falling yellow flowers and autumn leaves.

Wang Yun didn’t come to the Huang family.

The next day, the Huang family received a message from his attendant saying that due to being entangled in affairs, he couldn’t keep the previous day’s appointment and hoped for their understanding.

“From his meaning, today was supposed to be for discussing the marriage. Several Wang family elders were said to be coming…” Huang Meixi’s uncle Huang Yong had also gathered the clan elders, eagerly waiting for Wang Yun to arrive. His failure to appear left them uncertain.

“Could it be… the Wang family is having second thoughts about this marriage?”

“That’s impossible. Just yesterday, Young Master Wang sent someone to discuss the ceremony arrangements, about how to properly have our niece enter the capital for the wedding…”

“Even with rumors about his fiancée killing family and fleeing, the Wang family never expressed any opinions about this marriage. Now that the truth is clear, there’s even less possibility of changes.”

The clan elders all indicated that Huang Meixi’s marriage to the Wang family should still be secure, with no possibility of changes.

Just as everyone was about to disperse due to Wang Yun’s absence, someone ran in from outside holding a letter: “Master, there’s a letter for Sixth Miss.”

Among the cousins, Huang Meixi was ranked sixth. Huang Yong immediately became excited again: “Is it from Young Master Wang?”

“No,” the doorman shook his head and said, “It’s from Prince Kui.”

Everyone looked at each other, suddenly remembering that Huang Meixi had previously served as a minor eunuch for Prince Kui.

“However… she’s now our family’s young lady, so why would Prince Kui write to her?” They were very puzzled. When they took the letter and looked, the envelope read:

Regarding the matter of releasing Yang Chonggu, the eunuch of Prince Kui’s mansion, to return to Shu. For Huang Meixi’s receipt and filing.

“The people of Prince Kui’s mansion still handle things properly. Even though she has now restored her identity as a woman, leaving Prince Kui’s mansion still requires following proper procedures.” They said this, but none dared to open Prince Kui’s letter, quickly ordering someone to deliver it to Huang Meixi.

“A eunuch of Prince Kui’s mansion, released to return to Shu?”

Huang Meixi looked at the letter, then opened it and pulled out the paper inside. The moment she unfolded the paper, she saw three characters at the top—

Marriage Dissolution Document

She silently folded the letter again, saw the messenger out, closed the door, then opened the marriage dissolution document and read it once more.

Wang Yun of Langya betrothed in childhood to Huang Meixi of Chengdu. As the two have grown older, separated by great distance, their hearts have grown apart, hence this document is established to dissolve it. Henceforth each shall marry as they choose, with no disputes forever after.

Huang Meixi sat dazed by the window, looking at the four characters “Wang Yun of Langya,” then picked up the envelope again, looking at Li Shubai’s handwriting on it.

He had made her a promise last night, and now he had truly helped her dissolve the engagement.

From now on, she and Wang Yun would have no more connection.

She folded the dissolution document and stuffed it back in the envelope. Her fingers touched something inside, and she tilted the envelope to pour what was inside into her palm.

They were two bright red beans, crystal clear, strung together on a fine gold thread. She turned them over and over, watching them slide on the gold thread, sometimes apart, sometimes together, like two dewdrops sliding on a flower stamen.

She held these two red beans, leaning on the window-side table, resting her face gently on her elbow. In her ears, she seemed to hear Li Shubai’s voice again, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”

Outside the window in the autumn garden, countless yellow leaves fluttered and fell.

She leaned by the window, listening to the near and far sounds of wind, the rustle of falling leaves, the sound of birds hopping on branches, clutching the red beans tightly in her hand.

Zhou Ziqin lived each day with great excitement.

When there were cases, he would investigate them; when there weren’t, he would patrol the streets, looking for pickpockets or anything unsightly. His main target for regulation was the Second Miss who set up stalls irregularly.

Although he had previously been tricked by Huang Meixi into choking on several mouthfuls of water, his body had always been robust, and today was still another energetic day. As usual, he went to watch Second Miss again, argued a few words, and Zhou Ziqin turned around with great satisfaction to see Huang Meixi standing at the street corner, holding a package of tangerines, smiling as she watched them.

Seeing her smile glowing in the sunlight, Zhou Ziqin somehow felt his face slightly redden. He moved closer to Huang Meixi, took one of her tangerines, and began peeling it, asking, “Why are you here today?”

“It’s autumn now, and my skin is a bit dry, so I came to buy some face cream and hand medicine,” she said.

Zhou Ziqin immediately perked up: “Don’t buy any! I’ll make it for you! The face creams outside all use beef marrow as a base, I use deer marrow, which doesn’t have that beef oil smell. And I’ve developed a formula that extracts the essence of baizhi, weirui, clove, and peach blossoms dissolved in it, absolutely fragrant, warm, and delicate. I’ll bring it to you in a day or two!”

Huang Meixi nodded and smiled: “Alright, thank you then.”

Zhou Ziqin turned to look at Second Miss again, somewhat hesitant.

“Make some extra while you’re at it. Second Miss comes out so early every day, she must also be afraid of chapped skin. You can make extra hand medicine too. And—” Huang Meixi looked at Second Miss with a smile, “if you give her these things, she’ll be closer to you in the future, and she’ll listen to what you say, right?”

“That’s true, I’ll make a portion for her too. I wonder what kind of fragrance she likes, and what would suit her…”

“She likes osmanthus, and her constitution tends to be slightly hot, so you can add more winter melon seeds, and less baizhi and peach blossoms.” She looked at Second Miss again and said, “She has no parents and has several younger siblings. Don’t use porcelain jars, use lacquer ones instead. Children’s skin is delicate, add some marten oil, and she’ll use it for her siblings.”

Zhou Ziqin was surprised: “You know her?”

“No, just guessing from her appearance,” she said.

“I wonder if these guesses are accurate…” Zhou Ziqin muttered.

“Then let me make some guesses too.” A voice came from behind. Huang Meixi didn’t turn around, already knowing who had come, and a smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of her lips.

Zhou Ziqin turned around with delight: “Your Highness can read faces too?”

Li Shubai wore a cyan-colored heavy lotus silk robe that appeared to be a solid color, but when he moved, the dark pattern of the xiezhi on his clothes would faintly appear, complementing his handsome features and making him appear even more elegant and extraordinary, causing everyone nearby to steal glances while not daring to look directly.

Zhang Xingying faithfully followed behind him, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting to Zhou Ziqin.

Zhou Ziqin grabbed Li Shubai and asked: “Quick, make some guesses, let me see if you’re even more skilled than Chonggu!”

Li Shubai looked at Second Miss and casually said: “She should have been born in spring, her father was a butcher, and her mother’s family were silk farmers. Looking at her features, her parents died early, and her elder brother died young, leaving her with two younger brothers and a sister. She had an engagement broken off because her fiancé’s family was also very poor and couldn’t manage to take care of three young siblings after marrying her. So she took up her father’s old trade, selling mutton on this street for over four years, and even sent her brothers to private school, where their studies are quite good.”

Zhou Ziqin’s mouth had already formed a circle, looking at Li Shubai with an expression of utmost reverence: “This… this detailed? Your Highness’s face-reading skills are truly extraordinary!”

Li Shubai’s lips curved slightly, revealing a faint smile, and said: “Most importantly, her forehead is bright and her eyebrows shine with light. I dare say that within a few days, she will have joy descending from heaven.”

Zhou Ziqin half-believingly examined Second Miss’s eyebrows, muttering: “Is that true…”

Li Shubai and Huang Meixi smiled at each other, but before they could say anything, they felt a commotion approaching from the side. Three or four well-dressed servants were surrounding a pot-bellied, overly plump man who, upon seeing Second Miss selling mutton on the street, immediately had his facial flesh quiver, then regardless of the oil on the meat counter, rushed forward to grab Second Miss’s sleeve: “You… aren’t you Er Ya?”

Second Miss stared blankly, asking: “Who are you?”

“I’m your Fourth Uncle! Your grandfather was my cousin! When your father was young, your grandfather brought him to help with sacrifices at my home, I met him once! You look just like your father did when he was young!”

“Oh… so you’re Fourth Cousin Uncle.” Second Miss’s face couldn’t help but show an expression of “Your eyesight must be good, and your memory too.”

But the cousin uncle paid no attention to her expression, directly pulling out the family genealogy he carried with him, turning to a certain page to show her, “Look, see here, your great-grandfather Liu Liangshang, after the family split up, made a living as a butcher in Chengdu Prefecture, had a son Liu Jiahu — that’s your father, right? Now look over here—” his finger traced along a long line, passing over countless unfamiliar names, finally stopping at one name, “Liu Xiying, that’s me, counting by generations, aren’t I your Fourth Cousin Uncle?”

Second Miss was somewhat bewildered, not knowing what this suddenly appeared distant relative wanted, and could only call out: “Cousin Uncle, please forgive my ignorance, I didn’t recognize you.”

“Ah, when relatives don’t keep in touch, this happens, it’s fine, it’s fine.” Liu Xiying directly took the butcher knife from her hand, threw it on the chopping board, and said, “Er Ya, your Fourth Uncle is now the Granary Officer of Mian Prefecture, how can I watch my niece expose herself selling mutton on the street? Quick, come home with me, I’ll adopt you, and arrange a grand ceremony to officially write you into the family genealogy. From now on, you’ll be Liu Xiying’s daughter!”

Second Miss blinked, hadn’t yet thought of what to say, when the people behind had already brought over a blue-canopied horse cart, urging her to quickly get in.

“Don’t rush, I still need to sell today’s meat,” she looked at him and picked up the knife again. Liu Xiying quickly called to his people: “Take the meat, bring it directly to our kitchen. Do you like mutton?”

“No, I eat what doesn’t sell,” Second Miss said while tying up the mutton with a straw rope and throwing it to them, “Fourth Uncle, consider this your welcoming gift. I need to go home now, I still have to cook for my siblings.”

“No, Er Ya, come to uncle’s house…”

“Come on, I’m just a mutton seller, how could I go to your house? Besides, I have siblings to take care of.”

“Tell them to come too…”

Zhou Ziqin watched this comedy, his jaw nearly dropping. He turned to look at the perfectly calm Li Shubai, almost wanting to kneel in worship: “Your Highness, you’re divine! You truly predict things like a god!”

Huang Meixi smiled mischievously beside them: “Everyone has a well-positioned relative, don’t they?”

“But the probability of relatives coming to seek out a distant relative like this is too rare, how did Second Miss happen to encounter this?”

Huang Meixi smiled and looked up at Li Shubai. Li Shubai returned her smile and bent down to whisper in her ear: “Liu Xiying happened to hear a rumor that his distant relative Second Miss had once helped Prince Kui when he encountered danger in the outskirts of Chengdu. After quietly confirming this at Dunchu Pavilion, he came rushing over eagerly.”

Huang Meixi watched Zhou Ziqin who was rushing over to gather information, and couldn’t help but smile: “Prince Kui is truly kind-hearted.”

Li Shubai gazed at her for a long while before saying softly: “Just didn’t want another competitor.”

She felt slightly puzzled, not knowing where Zhou Ziqin would become his rival, but seeing him already turning to walk away, she waved to Zhou Ziqin and quickly followed him back.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather gradually turned cold. On paths where no one walked, leaves fell one by one, yellow leaves piled up under their feet, making rustling sounds when stepped on. Chengdu had always had few sunny days and much mist; in the gloomy weather, all these fallen leaves added an extra touch of desolation.

She heard Li Shubai’s voice, gently speaking near her ear: “I spoke with Wang Yun last night.”

She lowered her head without answering. Wang Yun was, after all, her fiancé, and for them to be together, they absolutely couldn’t bypass him. However, now the relationship between the three had become complex, and this awkward situation between them made it difficult to know how to handle it.

Seeing her silence, Li Shubai spoke softly again: “Did you receive the letter I had delivered?”

Huang Meixi nodded slightly, then said quietly: “This matter is truly unfair to the Wang family.”

Li Shubai said: “I know. So in the coming days, I will return to the capital for a while, to handle some matters I must conclude. Many things may happen, it may take a long time, but I will return.”

“Mm, I’ll wait for you.” Her voice was soft, and her cheeks involuntarily took on a light blush, but her gaze as she looked at him held not a trace of doubt.

Li Shubai lowered his head to gaze at her, seeing her in the hazy autumn light, her slightly pale skin tinged with a faint pink glow, indescribably lovely and moving. He felt his heart flutter slightly, warm blood flowing through every inch of his skin, making all his blood vessels from chest to fingertips pulse in an instant, momentarily dazed.

As if bewitched by that burning blood in his heart, he suddenly raised his arms and embraced her, holding her tightly.

Huang Meixi was suddenly pulled into his embrace, her body involuntarily trembling in surprise. She placed her hands between him and herself, wanting to push him away, but the moment she touched his chest, all strength left her body.

She saw on her wrist the two red beans strung together on gold thread. As her hand rose, they slid to her elbow, the two red beans flowing slowly, gently touching.

She was lost in a daze, in his tightening arms, slowly lowering her hands, allowing him to embrace her, as if the two of them could stay pressed together like this, never to part again.

He lowered his head to bury his face in her hair, breathing deeply of her scent, that clear and distant faint fragrance making his consciousness melt into blankness like spring snow.

At some point, her arms had gently returned his embrace. Her face buried in his chest, listening to both their hearts beating rapidly, she felt her cheeks burning hot.

After a very long time, he finally released her, saying softly: “Whatever news you hear, don’t be afraid, there’s no need to worry. Just wait peacefully for my return.”

Huang Meixi’s cheeks were pink and lovely as she nodded silently, keenly sensing something. Though her emotions were turbulent, she still couldn’t help asking: “What will happen?”

A gentle smile spread across his features as he gazed deeply at her, saying softly: “Nothing, I’m just worried you’ll get bored waiting and forget about me.”

Huang Meixi couldn’t help raising her hand to lightly hit his shoulder: “Nonsense.”

He smiled and took her hand, silently gazing at her. His palm slowly slid down from her wrist, gradually separating her fingers, and intertwining them with his own.

Those two bright red beans gently touched against both their wrists.

They spoke no more, just holding hands as they walked slowly through the falling leaves. On this autumn path empty of people, they walked toward an unknown future.

Zhou Ziqin was a man of action.

The next day he brought over the face cream, giving the largest jar to Huang Meixi, and preparing more than ten smaller ones for her to share with her sisters, and also sent one to Mihu.

Huang Meixi took a bit to dissolve in her palm, testing it on her hand.

Zhou Ziqin saw on her snow-white wrist those two red beans strung together on gold thread, crimson ornaments on her wrist, brilliantly eye-catching, and for a moment felt dazzled and enchanted, unconsciously staring at her hand for a long while.

Huang Meixi gathered her sleeves, turning her back to apply them while asking: “Second Miss likes osmanthus fragrance, right?”

Zhou Ziqin finally came back to his senses, saying somewhat dejectedly: “She didn’t come out today. I just asked others for her address, but… but I’m too embarrassed to deliver it to her home…”

With her back to him, Huang Meixi couldn’t help but smile and lower her head, really wanting to ask: You have times when you’re embarrassed?

“Oh right, Chonggu, about that case from Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s been concluded. I’ve discussed it with my father too, while there’s no precedent for a female chief constable, we want to hire you as a special external female constable. You’ll help us solve cases, and the yamen will pay you a monthly salary. What do you think?”

“Not happening!” Before Huang Meixi could answer, someone burst in through the door in a rage, loudly interrupting his words.

It was Huang Meixi’s aunt. Huang Meixi rose to greet her, seeing her angry expression, and respectfully asked: “Aunt, what instructions do you have?”

She glared at Zhou Ziqin, sitting down with a huff: “Good niece, how dare I instruct you? You’ve thrown away dozens of generations of the Huang family’s face, how can we elders have any say?”

Huang Meixi feigned confusion, standing and waiting for her to speak.

“You’re a young lady, yet you spend all day mixing with constables and yamen runners. Before, it was to help your father, and everyone respected you as the magistrate’s daughter, so it was tolerable. But now your parents have passed away, and you’re the Wang family’s bride-to-be, why not just stay home quietly waiting for them to come to fetch you? Why wade into these muddy waters? Now… there are already rumors outside saying Young Master Wang has returned to the capital to discuss breaking off the engagement with his parents!”

“Who spread this news?” Huang Meixi pondered, it must be Li Shubai, right? He’s so decisive, preemptively cutting off Wang Yun’s retreat to prevent him from changing his mind.

Zhou Ziqin, not knowing the truth, jumped up: “What what? That bastard Wang Yun dares to break off the engagement? Is he going back to the capital to break off your engagement? I’ll chase him down and beat his face until it blooms!”

“And the chief culprit is none other than Constable Zhou!” Her aunt glared at him angrily, saying, “The Wang family didn’t mention breaking the engagement even when my niece was wanted by the authorities, so why now that she’s been cleared of false charges, they’re causing such trouble? Isn’t it because you, Young Constable Zhou, got my niece involved in solving cases? She’s a proper young lady, yet you drag her to deal with corpses and bloody cases all day, what family would tolerate that?”

Zhou Ziqin naturally wouldn’t back down, immediately retorting: “Madam, you don’t understand! When Young Master Wang was in the capital, he most admired Chong… Miss Huang! Her mind is meticulous, she solves cases like a divine being. Moreover, Wang Yun even helped us investigate murder scenes, how could he break off the engagement because of this? It must be just rumors, not to be believed!”

“Hmph… but Young Master Wang has already left Chengdu, that’s true! He came to the Huang family several times before, carefully arranging matters for my niece, but what about now? The day before yesterday he said he would come personally to discuss wedding arrangements, then suddenly canceled, and now he’s even gone back to the capital without a word to the Huang family, what do you make of that?”

Zhou Ziqin stuck out his neck saying: “Of course, it’s because Wang Yun fears the pain of parting, and worries he won’t be able to bear leaving Miss Huang, so he had to endure the sorrow of separation, avoiding farewell to prevent more heartache!”

Huang Meixi’s aunt was just an ordinary person, and Zhou Ziqin’s skill at sophistry had been unmatched in all of Chang’an – how could she withstand it? She could only huff and turn to leave, throwing back one sentence: “Niece, if there is a matter of breaking the engagement, the clan will have to ask you to be more careful in the future.”

Zhou Ziqin made a face behind her back, then turned to look at Huang Meixi, saying: “Don’t mind her! I used to often go to the Imperial Guards to mooch meals, I know Wang Yun’s character perfectly well. Someone as gentle and kind as him would never break off an engagement! Moreover, since his fiancée is you, even if I were to let him off, Prince Kui would stand up for you and wouldn’t let him get away with it!”

Huang Meixi could only smile helplessly and say: “Ziqin, thank you for the face cream and hand medicine. Another day I’ll help you solve a big case to thank you.”

“Most importantly, teach me how to investigate cases! I feel that although my autopsy skills are unmatched under heaven, I still seem to fall short when it comes to analyzing cases, it’s beyond my ability,” he scratched his head, sighing troubledly, “Of course, it would be even better to have face-reading skills like Prince Kui’s, being able to tell what someone has done and what crimes they’ve committed just by looking at them on the street, just need to watch them…”

Huang Meixi couldn’t help but laugh, saying: “Alright, have him teach you more in the future.”

“Teach what? Prince Kui has already left, he departed early this morning, didn’t he say goodbye to you?”

Huang Meixi’s face reddened slightly as she said: “He told me before.”

Zhou Ziqin paid no attention to this, but remembered something else with a dejected face, saying quietly: “Oh right, before leaving, Second Brother Zhang asked me to help him gather news about Dicui in Chengdu. Do you think Dicui might come here?”

Huang Meixi pondered: “It’s possible, maybe one day she’ll make her way here?”

“Yes, the world is so vast, she could go anywhere, or nowhere,” Zhou Ziqin said, then peered outside again, making sure no one was around before lowering his voice to say softly, “When I went there, Second Brother Zhang was packing his things. Prince Kui’s return to the capital this time is escorted by military governors from both East and West Sichuan, and some of his former personal guards have returned, it should be safe. But I saw Second Brother Zhang looking worried and distracted.”

Huang Meixi made a sound of acknowledgment, remembering when Li Shubai bid her farewell yesterday, he had said, whatever news you hear, don’t be afraid, there’s no need to worry. Just wait peacefully for my return.

She lowered her eyes, slowly turning the agate bracelet on her arm, and after a long while, asked: “What did Second Brother Zhang say?”

“He didn’t dare say, so I just kept asking and asking, wouldn’t let it go…”

Even Huang Meixi was no match for Zhou Ziqin’s persistence, so of course Zhang Xingying had no choice but to stammer out: “Red circle…”

When Huang Meixi heard Zhou Ziqin relay these two words “red circle,” she suddenly felt a chill run up her spine straight into her brain. She urgently asked: “Which characters?”

Zhou Ziqin was immediately confused: “What do you mean which characters?”

Only then did Huang Meixi realize her reaction had been excessive, Zhou Ziqin probably didn’t know about this matter. She forced herself to calm down, making her voice sound more steady: “I mean, besides these two words, what else did Second Brother Zhang say?”

Zhou Ziqin shook his head: “Nothing. He just said these two words, then immediately regretted speaking and stopped. I begged him to explain clearly, but instead, he pleaded with me, saying that he had once been expelled from the Prince’s honor guard for violating regulations, so if I didn’t want him to go back to Dunrui Hall to dry medicines, I shouldn’t ask anymore. With Second Brother Zhang saying what could I do?”

Huang Meixi remained silent, and after a long while just nodded, but said nothing.

Zhou Ziqin pressed her: “Do you also know what that red circle is? What did you mean by ‘which characters’? Are you all hiding something from me again?”

Huang Meixi sighed and said: “Ziqin, for some things, not knowing is better than knowing.”

“Either knowing everything is fine, or knowing nothing is fine, but knowing only half is the hardest to bear!” Zhou Ziqin’s face was full of distress as he looked at her pleadingly, “Chonggu, just tell me a little bit. Just a little…”

“What’s even harder to bear than knowing half is knowing just a little bit.” Huang Meixi rejected him mercilessly, “Ziqin, sometimes being drawn into certain matters brings no benefit.”

“But since you already know, doesn’t that mean you’re already involved? I don’t care! Good brothers stick together, we face everything together!”

Huang Meixi slowly shook her head and said: “Yes, I was already involved, and now as the storm approaches, he has pushed me away… but really, how could I possibly extract myself?”

Zhou Ziqin looked at her in bewilderment, not understanding what she meant.

But Huang Meixi turned to him with a slight smile and asked: “Can you get into Dunchu Pavilion?”

Even Zhou Ziqin, whose thoughts could jump so unpredictably, hadn’t expected her to suddenly turn the topic to this. He opened and closed his mouth, and after a long while, nodded and said: “Yes.”

“Take me in, I want to see where Prince Kui lived.”

Zhou Ziqin’s mouth twitched: “Chonggu, you’re too funny! When you were a minor eunuch by his side, you were in Prince Kui’s mansion every day, it’s not like you haven’t seen where he lived.”

Huang Meixi had to say: “Alright, take me to see what the imperial residence looks like.”

“That’s no problem, I’ll borrow an official uniform for you, let’s go.”

Zhou Ziqin had broad connections, and within a few months had become familiar with everyone in Chengdu. The guards at Dunchu Pavilion’s entrance called out as soon as they saw him: “Constable Zhou, why are you here again? Didn’t you just come this morning to see Prince Kui off?”

“Lost something, I’m going in to look for it,” he said, waving to everyone, and without changing expression led Huang Meixi inside. Huang Meixi was wearing constable’s clothes, and no one paid any attention, just joking a few times about “this young fellow looks quite fresh-faced.”

Huang Meixi reached Chunhua Hall, seeing green pines and cypresses shading the tall hall behind. She paced on the blue bricks before the hall for a long while, then asked: “Who attended to Prince Kui when he was here?”

Someone tending the garden nearby said: “After Prince Kui’s scattered guards gradually returned, it was mostly them attending to him.”

Huang Meixi asked again: “Did anyone stay behind?”

“There was one guard who had suffered injuries to his tendons and bones and could no longer follow Prince Kui. He happened to be from Shu, so Prince Kui spoke with the governor and had him stay here to help, he’s already been entered into the pavilion’s registry.”

Huang Meixi nodded, inquired about that person’s whereabouts, and went to look. It was a heroic-looking man in his twenties; she had seen him before, people seemed to call him Tian Wu, but now his right hand was severed, indeed making him unable to serve as a soldier anymore.

“Master Yang.” He naturally recognized Huang Meixi and greeted her.

Huang Meixi returned his greeting and casually asked: “Where are the things His Highness left for me?”

He was startled, suddenly stammering: “Wh-what things?”

“The things he left with you before leaving, instructing you to deliver to me later.” Huang Meixi looked at him, asking with a calm expression.

Tian Wu opened and closed his mouth, somewhat hesitant: “That…”

Zhou Ziqin listened to their conversation, completely unable to make heads or tails of it, and could only give up trying to understand, going to the side to eat melon seeds.

“But His Highness instructed that that letter should be given to Master Yang only at this time next year,” Tian Wu scratched his head in confusion, asking perplexedly, “Why do you want to take it now? Did His Highness tell you about it?”

Huang Meixi said without changing expression: “Yes, His Highness said if there was something urgent, I could look at his letter to me first.”

Tian Wu shook his head: “But His Highness specified next year at this time.”

“Something urgent happened when seeing His Highness off this morning. Now that he’s returned to the capital, he’ll certainly face great dangers, so he told me about a letter he left with you, originally intending to let me see it after some time, but now with the situation critical, I can open it early.”

Hearing her say this, Zhou Ziqin froze with his melon seeds: “Chonggu, you… went to see His Highness off?”

“Yes, earlier than you.” She turned back to give him a “shut up” look.

Zhou Ziqin buried his head in eating melon seeds, not daring to speak up again.

Seeing her determined expression and calm gaze, showing no signs of deception, Tian Wu could only say: “Alright, please wait a moment, Master Yang.”

He went back to his room, and shortly returned, handing her a letter sealed with wax, saying: “This is it.”

The envelope was blank without a single character. Huang Meixi took it and said to Tian Wu: “Thank you, much obliged, Brother Tian Wu,” then immediately turned to leave, opening the letter to read as she walked.

Meixi, as I write:

When you read this letter, it must be after I have died.

None can escape the storms of court. For years I’ve exhausted myself, treading on thin ice, and finally, there comes a time when collapse cannot be prevented. The sun sets in the west, and royal power wanes, this is beyond my ability to save, yet they fear I could destroy it. With my modest position, even if I exhaust all effort and wisdom, I cannot block the eternal flow of heaven and earth, the tides of court and country.

This death I go to meet, I have already expected for more than ten years. When the nest falls, how can the eggs remain whole? Rather than living in a furtive existence, better to face directly the moment of awakening from this golden millet dream. In my life I originally had no attachments, only wished to understand the mystery of this existence, then could die without regret. But that day in late spring, suddenly meeting you, from then walking step by step, I forgot myself. Meixi, you are the great mistake of my life, and also my great fortune.

The Langya Wang family is not a good branch to rely on, after me should come the Wang family’s collapse. You now have no connection to Wang Yun, with your wise eyes, you must be able to find another good match and fulfill your wishes…

Before Huang Meixi could finish reading the entire text, she felt a darkness surge up before her eyes. Li Shubai’s elegant handwriting blurred in the haziness, dispersing like thin smoke. She just stood there dazed, her legs weak, leaning against the tall cypress tree behind her.

“…Chonggu?”

She heard Zhou Ziqin’s voice, anxiously ringing in her ears.

She messily folded the letter, her vision completely black, unable to see anything, just stuffed the letter into her clothes, then called out to him in confusion: “Ziqin…”

“Ah? I’m here.” Zhou Ziqin quickly responded.

“I… seem a bit dizzy,” she said, finally coming to her senses. She supported herself against the wall, slowly walking to the railing, leaning against a pillar to sit on the railing, then raising her hand to press her forehead, saying, “Blood deficiency, I’ll be fine in a moment.”

Zhou Ziqin slapped his head, quickly running to the pavilion nearby, taking two pieces of sesame candy from a plate and giving them to her: “Even with Prince Kui gone, don’t forget to carry candy with you.”

“How could I be so delicate… recently I haven’t been… following him on forced marches.” She spoke while taking the sesame candy and slowly eating a piece, then sat dazed in the corridor for a long while.

The evergreen pines and cypresses before her eyes transformed into twisted dragons and snakes, and the lush branches and leaves became dark and forbidding shadows. This meticulously maintained garden regressed into a hundred-year-old desolate imperial residence.

She seemed to suddenly understand the terrifying nature of the court and temples.

Zhou Ziqin watched her worriedly from the side, asking: “Chonggu, are you alright?”

“It’s nothing… nothing,” she drew up her knees, resting her face on her elbow, quietly lying on her knees for a while, then asked: “Ziqin, can you accompany me to my parents’ grave?”

On Governor Huang’s grave, autumn grass grew fine and thin. Wherever there was soil, the tenacious grass would sprout tips year-round, waiting for people to one day become negligent, giving it a chance to grow tall.

Zhou Ziqin bowed before the grave, sincerely praying: “Miss Huang’s father, mother, brother, grandmother, uncle… I’m sorry for disturbing you last time, please forgive me! At least, in the end, Miss Huang helped catch the real culprit, and I also contributed somewhat…”

Huang Meixi ignored him, directly kneeling before the grave, staring at the characters on the epitaph. There, her name had already been carved—

Filial Daughter, Huang Meixi

Once a happy, harmonious family, now, only she remained.

Her gaze passed over the grave before her, looking toward an inconspicuous small tomb behind it. Before that tomb stood a stone tablet, inscribed with—

Yu Xuan’s Tomb

Nothing else was written.

A desolate mound of earth buried the first person she had ever loved in this world. No one knew his former grace, nor did anyone know his story. Even fewer knew that he had once turned her entire girlhood into the most beautiful dream in the world.

And now, the dream had shattered, and she had bid him farewell forever. Now before her lay an incredibly difficult path. Li Shubai hoped she would wait in place, wait for him to return after cutting through thorns and brambles, but she knew she could never simply sit and wait for fate’s arrival.

Life in this world holds countless waves. The storms of court can overturn the world. But if in the most difficult moments, she couldn’t stand shoulder to shoulder with that person to fight against the storm, why should she live through this meaninglessly, how could that be considered perfect fulfillment?

She bit her lower lip, bending to give three proper kowtows before her family’s graves.

She remained silent throughout, not saying a word. Zhou Ziqin, accompanying her, didn’t understand and could only look at her in confusion, not knowing why her eyes had suddenly filled with tears.

The mountains were vast and hazy, the long road stretching endlessly.

The path ahead seemed endless, each step followed by another. As Li Shubai traveled toward an unknown destination, the closer he got to the capital, the more unsettled his thoughts became.

The little fish in the crystal cup seemed tired from the long journey too, lying heavily at the bottom of the water, not moving for a long time. He tapped his finger gently on the outside of the cup, but it only listlessly flicked its tail, unwilling to respond.

The colors filtering through the carriage curtains grew increasingly warm. All along the way, red and yellow leaves fell continuously. Occasionally when he lifted the curtain, a small red leaf would flutter onto him. He picked it up to look at it, remembering that day on the empty path in Chengdu Prefecture when they parted, how a red leaf had fallen just like this into her hair.

She surely didn’t know that when he embraced her, he had secretly taken that leaf from her hair and held it in his palm.

He opened the book on his table and placed this leaf that had fallen on him next to the one already pressed between its pages. The two red leaves lay close together, looking intimately connected.

What was she doing now? In the autumn afternoon, was she deep in sleep beneath her small window? Was there a beautiful dream unfolding before her?

As he thought about this, his lips involuntarily curved into a smile, thinking that after some time, when she couldn’t wait for his return and realized he had also destroyed her marriage to the Wang family, would she blame him in her heart?

Day after day of traveling, the scenery outside the window gradually became familiar. The hills of the capital’s outskirts seemed more magnificent than those of other places. Among the layered peaks, eight rivers encircled Chang’an, the blue mountains and green waters protecting this most prosperous city under heaven, the direction toward which millions of Great Tang people faced.

After resting one night at a villa outside the city, with the East and West Sichuan armies remaining outside, Prince Kui’s carriage entered Chang’an at sunrise.

Seeing the familiar carriages and horses, officials and commoners in the city spread the word excitedly—Prince Kui had returned to the capital!

The various department officials were so excited they had tears in their eyes as if seeing mountains of accumulated documents rapidly disappearing.

Thus, before his carriage reached Yongjia District, countless people were already waiting outside the prince’s mansion. When the familiar sound of golden bells rang out, everyone cheered, rushing forward to greet Prince Kui. Minister of Works Li Yonghe pushed everyone aside with his arms, almost breaking into tears: “Your Highness, you’ve finally returned to the capital! His Majesty wants to build one hundred and twenty pagodas in the outskirts to welcome the Buddha’s bone relic from Famen Temple, please instruct us on how we should construct them?”

Cui Chunzhan pushed him aside, urgently saying: “Your Highness, the case of Capital Prefecture Magistrate Wen Zhang accepting bribes is now being investigated by the Court of Judicial Review, in your opinion…”

“This year’s tax books from the Ministry of Revenue, please review them, Your Highness…”

…

Amid all the clamor, Li Shubai finally descended from his carriage. He was naturally tall, and as his gaze swept across everyone’s faces, each person felt he had seen them, immediately falling silent and hurriedly holding out whatever was in their hands.

He didn’t reach out to take anything, only gesturing for his attendants to part the crowd as he walked toward the mansion gate, saying: “I shall bathe and change first, you may wait in the hall…”

At this point, standing at the main gate, he suddenly froze.

The crowd didn’t know what Prince Kui had seen, but watched as he stood there motionless, his words cut off mid-sentence with no continuation. The people behind him hurriedly craned their necks, trying to see what inside the gate could cause Prince Kui, famous for remaining unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, to suddenly freeze.

Li Shubai had already come back to his senses. He entered the gate, turned to face everyone below the steps, and said: “I am weary today, please return home, all matters will be discussed tomorrow.”

“Your Highness, it’s a matter of life and death! About Wen Zhang’s case…”

“Your Highness, one hundred and twenty pagodas! Everyone in the Ministry of Works is about to hang themselves…”

“Your Highness, just take a look…”

Li Shubai acted as if he couldn’t hear, only having people close the main gate.

He stood on the steps behind the gate, gazing at that slender figure before the screen wall.

Huang Meixi wore a goose-yellow dress, her hair in a simple bun with only the hairpin he had given her inserted in it.

She stood before the pink-white screen wall, her slightly pale face wearing a faint smile. Her gaze as she looked at him contained the brightest pair of stars in the world, reflected in his image, making everything before his eyes suddenly burst into countless colors.

He walked down the steps one by one, slowly moving toward her.

And she stood in the wind, her yellow clothes stirring, dark hair floating slightly, and when she smiled, the stars in her eyes gently rippled.

The breath in his chest also became disordered, making it difficult to breathe smoothly. The blood in his heart surged wildly, alternating between cold and hot, not knowing if it was joy or sorrow.

He stopped two steps before her and asked: “Why did you come?”

She looked up at him and said: “You had such a grand procession, and people kept welcoming you along the way, so you were much slower than me. I arrived two days ago and have already rested for two days.”

He wasn’t distracted by her attempt to change the topic, still asking: “Didn’t I tell you to wait peacefully for me in Chengdu?”

“How could I wait? Wait until next autumn, then wait for your farewell letter?” She took a long breath, the smile still on her face, but her lips trembling slightly, her voice and tone somewhat strained, “Although I know that since you had made arrangements, you would surely return safely, but… my patience isn’t very good, and besides, compared to waiting without any certainty, I prefer things I can grasp myself—only what I hold in my hands makes me feel at ease.”

The smile on her face was stubborn and brilliant. The last slanting rays of the autumn sun shone on her smiling face, making the whole world seem hazy and indistinct. Her golden countenance made Li Shubai momentarily unable to look directly at her, feeling his eyes slightly burning.

He could almost see her, alone, riding across a thousand mountains and rivers through the shifting sands, racing desperately toward the capital amidst the falling yellow flowers and autumn leaves.

His throat seemed suddenly choked, unable to say anything, he could only raise his hand to gently caress her face, as if touching a dream, unable to believe it, as if in a fog.

His voice, usually cool and indifferent, finally began to waver and tremble: “Do you know… how dangerous the current situation is for me?”

He ordered someone to bring forward his nine-palace box, taking out the charm he had looked at many times along the way, and holding it before her.

On the thick, slightly yellow paper with its strange background pattern, the six characters for “widowed, disabled, orphaned, alone, abandoned, ill” had all been marked with circles red as blood. And beneath these six character symbols, the blood-red color had spread and seeped through, forming ghost-like pale dark patterns that faintly appeared, forming the final character—

Death

Huang Meixi gazed at that faintly appearing character, barely visible yet heart-stopping against the ominous background pattern.

She looked for a long while, but when she raised her head to face him, she only smiled slightly.

She raised her hand, grasping his hand. Just as he had held her hand then, she intimately intertwined her five fingers with his. In the golden sunset, she held his hand tightly, showing him a gentle smile: “I told you, I will always be by your side.”

The wild tide of blood in his heart finally broke its banks. No longer having the strength to send her away, he held her tightly without restraint, his force almost violent. She felt his body trembling, his breathing rapid and chaotic, helpless as a youth still ignorant of the world. She wanted to tease this usually cold-faced man, but as her lips parted, before her smile could form, hot tears had already welled up in his embrace.

She pressed her face against his chest, quietly letting his brocade clothes absorb her tears.

In Chang’an’s late autumn, in the golden slanting sun. Chrysanthemums bloomed in Prince Kui’s mansion, medicinal fragrance enveloping all the pavilions.

This moment of peace and tranquility might be their last day.