As soon as she finished speaking, Xiaoyan saw Gu Yi stand up awkwardly.

He looked at her with a smile, “Go ahead.”

Gu Yi smiled gently at him, then turned and left, walking down a long corridor before pushing open the door to her room.

The room had only one semicircular window, offering a view of the tides rising and falling outside the ship’s hull.

Gu Yi looked around, noticing a large iron chest for storing clothes in the corner of the room, but it was locked, and she didn’t know where the key was.

She walked around a rosewood screen carved with floral patterns and saw a four-poster carved wooden bed with a glass bead curtain hanging in front, tinkling in the breeze.

Another dream behind a curtain.

Gu Yi looked down, lifted the hanging drapes, and saw there was space for a person to hide under the bed.

She pushed aside the beaded curtain and calmly sat on the edge of the bed, beginning to arrange her clothes.

A short while later, three knocks suddenly sounded at the door. Knock, knock, knock.

“Lady Yi, the Young Master sent this servant to deliver something.”

“Come in.”

Gu Yi looked up to see an attendant enter with a tray, “Hearing that the Lady is organizing her belongings, the Young Master specially sent this tray.”

Gu Yi lifted the brocade cloth covering the tray, and before her eyes flashed a golden light—it was a golden suit of flexible armor.

She lifted the armor with both hands, and the fine golden scales clinked softly against each other.

She asked in surprise, “This is from the Young Master?”

The attendant’s face was full of smiles, “This journey will pass by Dengzhou’s military camp, which faces Qingzhou across the Luo River. Although there’s no fighting now, when passing through the camp, if military conditions suddenly change, the Lady wearing a suit of golden armor might feel more at ease.”

Gu Yi asked, “Does the Young Master also have such golden armor?”

The attendant nodded, “Of course.”

Gu Yi asked again, “What about Lady Wan?”

The attendant hesitated for a moment, “Of course she has one too.”

Gu Yi put away the golden armor, placing it on the couch, and noticed a slender white porcelain bottle on the tray.

She picked it up, pulled out the stopper, and smelled a very familiar bitter scent. Inside the bottle were black pills the size of beans.

“These are calming pills, made from the same formula as the calming soup the Lady used before. It’s not convenient to brew medicine on the boat, so the medical officials made them into pills for easier transport.”

“I see.” Gu Yi thanked him and placed the porcelain bottle on the small table beside the couch.

The attendant bowed and withdrew, returning to the flower room to report to Xiaoyan.

After hearing the report, Xiaoyan merely gave an “mm” and dismissed the attendant.

Eunuch Gao entered from outside the cabin and approached, saying, “Young Master, the helmsman reports that the weather has been clear these days. The wooden boat is moving swiftly downstream with a favorable wind, and we should reach Ji Prefecture in three to five days.”

Xiaoyan smiled, “Very good.” He looked toward Zhao Wan at the table, “When we reach Ji Prefecture, this boat will dock at Cang County for a few days, and you can disembark to revisit the Zhao family’s old residence.”

Zhao Wan’s heart tightened. She gripped her silk handkerchief, “Ah Wan thanks the Young Master for his kindness, but the old residence in Cang County has long been empty. After Master Zhao Jie’s death, if Ah Wan revisits the old place, it won’t be the same as before…”

After she spoke, she saw Xiaoyan gazing at her with a bland expression.

Still unwilling to give up, she gathered her courage and asked, “Has the Young Master forgotten that house? There were many grape vines in the courtyard. The Young Master visited when recuperating in Cang County as a child… do you remember?”

Xiaoyan gave a half-laugh and asked, “Zhao Wan, what relation are you to Zhao Jie?”

Zhao Wan clenched her fists, made a decision, stood up, knelt on the wooden floor, and bowed to him.

“Zhao Jie was my father.”

After speaking, there was a long silence.

She looked up to see that Xiaoyan’s face showed no surprise, but continued to look at her calmly.

“You entered the palace… to learn about the cause of Master Zhao Jie’s death?” he asked slowly.

Zhao Wan bit her red lips lightly and nodded, “My father was always in good health, yet suddenly died in the capital, without explanation… Ah Wan wants to learn the truth and hopes for Your Majesty’s help.”

Xiaoyan gazed at her for a long while, then suddenly smiled, “You may rise.”

Zhao Wan stood up anxiously, finally hearing him ask, “Are you… that little girl from the Zhao household back then?”

Zhao Wan’s eyes brightened, her voice filled with hope: “Does the Young Master still remember? That year, your subject went to Fuguo Temple in Cang County and saw the Young Master. Later… later the former Crown Prince brought the Young Master to stay at the Zhao home, and your subject was the girl the Young Master met then…”

Xiaoyan certainly remembered.

Though the girl’s face was now blurred in his memory, he remembered that the year was the 15th year of Hongyou.

Crown Prince Xiao Heng had just come of age, and the Emperor ordered him to act as regent.

He was only eight years old when he suddenly fell ill with an acute disease, and Empress Gao sent him out of the palace to Cang County to recuperate.

Before leaving the palace, he secretly ran to Pingcui Palace and managed to see Tazhu.

When leaving, he wanted to take something as a keepsake, so he quietly took the white rabbit jade pendant that Tazhu had left idle in her treasure box.

Xiaoyan laughed to himself.

He still remembered the expression on Xiao Heng’s face when he came to Cang County to visit him and saw him wearing the jade pendant.

Perhaps from that moment, Xiao Heng harbored thoughts of killing him.

But at eight years old, he was unaware, only feeling that his usually gentle older brother, the Crown Prince, had suddenly become annoyed with him.

So he casually gave away that “hot potato” jade pendant to someone else.

Zhao Jie’s daughter.

In the years that followed, when Zhao Jie saw the jade pendant, did he finally understand its significance, and thus… invite a fatal disaster.

This absurd imperial family, these absurd emperors.

Love turning to hate, affection breeding jealousy.

The flawless jade Crown Prince, suddenly marred.

Tazhu died in Pingcui Palace.

Xiao Heng killed Xiao Guo, yet claimed he had killed his father and usurped the throne.

By the time he finally slew Xiao Heng, he had added another crime—that of killing his brother.

But how could he explain, how could he tell that Xiao Heng, for the sake of his imperial consort, defied the Emperor, killed his father and brother, and plotted to usurp the throne?

Tazhu had already borne too many false accusations…

Zhao Wan saw that after Xiaoyan laughed, there was no trace of joy on his face. His dark brown eyes instead grew dim.

Dark clouds gathered in his expression.

Zhao Wan didn’t know where things had gone wrong. She stammered, “Young Master… Your Maj…”

Before she could finish, Xiaoyan suddenly stood up and left.

Eunuch Gao watched with alarm, observing his expression, and immediately followed.

Seeing him walk faster, Eunuch Gao had to break into a small run, “Your Majesty…” But the Emperor seemed deaf to his calls, walking straight down the corridor until he stopped in front of a carved door.

Eunuch Gao’s face lit up with joy as he quickly raised his hand to knock on the door.

After a brief moment, Gu Yi opened the door.

Seeing Eunuch Gao looking at her with burning eyes, Gu Yi asked with confusion, “Does Manager Gao need something?”

The manager stepped aside, and Gu Yi leaned out to look, finally seeing Xiaoyan standing a few steps away, his face expressionless.

Her heart skipped a beat.

What was the matter now?

Gu Yi smiled lightly and said to Xiaoyan, “The flexible armor the Young Master bestowed is wonderful. Your subject doesn’t find it cumbersome to wear.”

At a critical moment, it could also save her life—truly a rare and valuable item.

If she had had this gear last time, she might not have needed to restart.

Xiaoyan saw her smiling and talking, her eyes sparkling with light, showing genuine pleasure.

He took two steps forward and finally entered the room.

Eunuch Gao didn’t follow but reached out to close the door, not forgetting to give Gu Yi an encouraging look.

Gu Yi understood and quickly followed Xiaoyan, watching as he walked around the screen. His gaze fell on the beaded curtain, his footsteps halting as he frowned in displeasure, “Whose stupid idea was this?”

Gu Yi knew he was just finding fault and laughed dryly, “The beaded curtain was already here when your subject arrived. I suppose it’s part of the boat’s original decor. If the Young Master doesn’t like it, we can have it removed later.”

Xiaoyan walked to the couch and raised his hand to lift the beaded curtain.

The glass beads immediately flew up, clattering loudly.

Gu Yi examined his face closely and saw that his crown had loosened in the wind, with strands of hair falling across his forehead.

So she boldly said, “Let your subject get a comb to fix the Young Master’s hair…”

Xiaoyan glanced at her but didn’t object.

Gu Yi immediately found a rosewood comb, walked in front of him, reached out to remove the black hairpin from his head, and combed his hair stroke by stroke.

She very much liked Xiaoyan’s hair—fine, soft, and gentle, completely at odds with his personality.

In the silence, Xiaoyan remained gloomily quiet.

She was just preparing to compose a few lines of poetry, to lament the irrevocability of past events and other such life philosophies, when she suddenly felt a coolness at her neck.

Xiaoyan had reached out to pull open the round collar of her padded jacket, and he continued downward, undoing her belt and completely parting both her jacket and the inner garment.

In broad daylight…

“Young Master…”

Gu Yi’s face flushed as she gripped the comb and looked down, only to see that Xiaoyan had also stopped his movements and was examining the golden flexible armor she wore over her undergarments.

He deftly untied the cords on both sides of the flexible armor, then tightened and retied them, firmly cinching Gu Yi’s waist.

Gu Yi drew in a sharp breath as she heard him say slowly, “If you wear this armor, be sure it’s tight, not loose. If the golden armor comes apart, it won’t stop a sharp sword…”

Gu Yi humbly said, “Your subject will remember the Young Master’s instruction.”

Xiaoyan stared at the golden armor for a moment, then suddenly reached out to touch the area over her heart, “The golden armor protects the body, especially this spot. If a sword pierces your heart, you will die, with no chance of revival.”

Hearing this, Gu Yi’s whole body trembled, and she stared at Xiaoyan, suddenly speechless.

Xiaoyan felt the heartbeat beneath his palm suddenly accelerate. He looked up at Gu Yi and saw that her face had paled even more, with an expression of wanting to speak but hesitating.

He reassured her in a deep voice, “You… need not fear… this golden armor is just a precaution. On this journey to Qingzhou, we have secret guards and soldiers accompanying us. Nothing will happen.”

Gu Yi took a slow, deep breath, “With the golden armor for protection and Your Majesty present, your subject naturally has no fear.”

Xiaoyan laughed lightly, noticing that Gu Yi’s heartbeat gradually calmed down.

Gu Yi stood in place, waiting for quite a while, opening her mouth but not knowing what to say.

Although… but…

She glanced again at Xiaoyan’s solemn expression and his right hand.

Could you perhaps remove your hand…

*

Five days later, the wooden boat docked at the riverside of Cang County in Ji Prefecture.

Gu Yi finally disembarked and walked on solid ground, her legs still feeling unsteady and weak, as if walking on clouds.

After sitting on the boat for so long, it would take some time to adjust to walking again.

At this time of year in Cang County, the weather had already warmed up. She wore a yamabuki-colored jacket and skirt with only a thin cape, not feeling cold at all.

For convenience while traveling, she wore a white gauze veiled hat.

Gu Yi raised her hand to hold the brim of her hat and looked up.

Eagles circled in the sky, flying higher and higher until they became small black dots in the deep blue expanse.

Duo Luo, following behind her, excitedly said, “Manager Gao said we can explore the city for half a day. This servant has asked around, and Cang County has a famous long alley full of pastry shops. After sitting on the boat for days with monotonous meals, always eating fish, if the Lady wants to buy some fresh pastries or preserved fruits for a change of taste, that alley would be perfect.”

Gu Yi was tempted and said to the attendant leading the way, “Let’s go to the long alley.”

She looked back and saw that Zhao Wan hadn’t come with her but had gone west with her group after disembarking, probably following the plot.

Gu Yi relaxed and went to the long alley.

The New Year had just passed, and the city was still full of merchants coming and going, strange arts and skills, songs, dances, and various performances.

Duo Luo, young and lively, chattered excitedly as they sightseeing.

“Lady, look, there’s someone performing acrobatics!”

“Wow, is he breathing fire?”

“Lady, quick look, this teahouse even has a theater troupe! The play is called ‘The Nun of Romance.'”

Gu Yi couldn’t help but smile.

If only they had never had to go to Qingzhou Prefecture.