This question instantly stunned Ji Qingyang.

He looked at Li Ying. Li Ying’s eyes also revealed a nervous expression. Ji Qingyang stared at her for a long while before moving his gaze away and shaking his head.

His answer was within Cui Xun’s expectations. Ji Qingyang had feelings for Li Ying, so how could he possibly kill her?

Cui Xun continued asking: “So what happened that night?”

That prevented him from taking action.

Ji Qingyang pressed his lips together. That memory he was most unwilling to recall finally unfolded gradually from his mouth.

Ji Qingyang indeed admired Li Ying. Since the Lantern Festival, he had fallen in love with her, but he also knew how humble his status was. How could he possibly be worthy of the noble princess of the Great Zhou?

So he could only secretly hide his admiration in his heart, known to no one.

In public, he was a capable and efficient Cavalry Officer; in private, he was just a humble young man who admired Li Ying. He would work harder in the Cavalry Bureau just to have more opportunities to enter the palace. He would also linger on her regular path, just to catch a distant glimpse of her graceful figure. His love was cautious and full of restraint.

Li Ying soon had a fiancé, the eldest son of the Zheng family of Xingyang, Empress Zheng’s nephew Zheng Yun. He was cultured and elegant, humble and courteous, and well-matched with her. Although Ji Qingyang felt bitter inside, he was still happy that she had found a good marriage.

However, he still kept a watchful eye. In this world, unfaithful men were many, truly devoted ones few. So he took it upon himself to follow Zheng Yun. To his surprise, upon following him, he discovered that Zheng Yun intended to harm Li Ying.

He was quite angry and immediately reported this matter to Commander Jin Ni. Jin Ni instructed him to fully investigate the matter, and he did so diligently. The results revealed that Zheng Yun was involved with his cousin Wang Ranxi. He didn’t want to marry Li Ying, so he plotted to kill her.

Upon learning this, Ji Qingyang wanted nothing more than to cut Zheng Yun into a thousand pieces. Zheng Yun was fortunate enough to have the purest and most virtuous woman in the world, yet why did he not cherish her? He expected His Majesty to be furious and seek retribution for his most beloved daughter, but after waiting for a long time, he didn’t see Zheng Yun punished. Instead, he received orders from his superior, Jin Ni, to kill Li Ying.

He still remembered how he was dumbfounded and incredulous at the time. Jin Ni only said meaningfully: “Qingyang, our Cavalry Bureau may seem glorious, but unlike the Six Ministries, the Cavalry Bureau is just His Majesty’s dog. When His Majesty is happy, we enjoy wealth and honor; when His Majesty is displeased, we are beheaded. You’re a smart person; you should know how to choose.”

He was in extreme pain, but ultimately accepted the task because he knew if he didn’t, Jin Ni would assign someone else, and then Li Ying would have even less chance of survival.

Yes, survival.

His consideration in accepting the task was not to kill Li Ying, but to save her.

When Ji Qingyang slowly narrated everything, he omitted the details of his admiration for Li Ying, attributing his desire to save Li Ying solely to repaying a life-saving debt. Li Ying didn’t notice anything unusual. She murmured, “If you decided to save me, why did I still die?”

She asked in confusion: “Was it because even if you didn’t kill me, Father still wanted me dead, so he had someone else kill me?”

Hearing her speak this way, Ji Qingyang couldn’t help but ask: “Does the Princess hate the Late Emperor?”

Li Ying was stunned for a moment. Her instinct was to say “hate,” but she had been a little princess who lived deep in the palace, unaware of worldly sufferings. This journey outside Chang’an had shown her another world. When she saw the 220 people of Niu Village who, having no hope for their future, chose to believe Lingxu Mountain Man and drank the “holy water” to their deaths, she vaguely began to understand her father. The Great Zhou’s official selection system was completely corrupt; without reform, national destruction was imminent.

But though she vaguely understood her father, it didn’t mean she could let go. She bit her lip and said softly: “I… I still hate him…”

Ji Qingyang sighed: “Actually, Princess, you don’t need to hate the Late Emperor so much.”

Li Ying looked at him in confusion. Ji Qingyang said, “Although the Late Emperor wanted to kill you, he stopped at the last moment.”

Taichang 20th year, tenth month, sixth day, night.

In Shenlong Hall, medicinal fragrance filled the air. Emperor Taichang closed his doors to recover from illness, not even summoning his most beloved Consort Jiang.

Memorials flowed like water to Shenlong Hall. Many important state affairs awaited Emperor Taichang’s decisions, but the emperor who controlled the fate of thousands of people was leaning weakly on his sickbed. He hadn’t even finished reading one page of the memorials in his hand. It wasn’t until the oil in the white porcelain dragon-patterned candlestick was completely burned and court servants came to add more oil that he suddenly awoke.

He looked at the flickering flame and suddenly bent over, coughing up a mouthful of fresh blood.

The blood soaked into the ebony floor, shockingly red.

The palace servants in the hall were frightened out of their wits. Some ran to call the Imperial Physicians, some knelt at Emperor Taichang’s feet trembling. A weeping eunuch supported the emperor who almost fell off his sickbed, but was gripped tightly by the emperor, who squeezed four words through his teeth: “Call Jin Ni here!”

Jin Ni came tumbling in. After a long illness, Emperor Taichang’s face was frighteningly emaciated, with none of his former martial spirit. Jin Ni knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound. The emperor beckoned him closer. He crawled to the bedside, trembling. The emperor grabbed his collar: “Where is the man you sent to kill Mingyuezhu?”

Jin Ni’s teeth were chattering: “Currently… following the Princess…”

“Order him to return!” The emperor’s eyes were as red as a madman’s: “If anything happens to Mingyuezhu, I will flay you alive!”

Jin Ni was scared out of his wits. He immediately kowtowed and answered: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Watching Jin Ni’s hastily retreating figure, Emperor Taichang collapsed on his sickbed. He looked at the five-clawed golden dragon painted on the ceiling and slowly closed his eyes, still muttering: “There must be another way, there must be another way…”

He was the father of all under heaven, but more importantly, he was a father who deeply loved his daughter. The pain of killing his daughter was heart-wrenching; he simply couldn’t do it.

Emperor Taichang suddenly changed his mind at the last moment. Jin Ni naturally hurried to notify Ji Qingyang. By this time, Ji Qingyang had already followed Li Ying to the Lotus Pond. He learned from a carrier pigeon that Wang Tuan’er had fled at the critical moment. According to the plan, he should have pushed Li Ying into the Lotus Pond to drown her and then framed Prince Consort Zheng Yun.

But he would never follow the plan.

He wanted to take Li Ying away.

Though his status was humble, his heart for Li Ying was sincere. He would never be like those high and mighty people who pretended to love and respect Li Ying on the surface, but for their purposes, would push her into despair.

He wanted to take her out of the palace. He wanted to protect her. He wouldn’t let her suffer any harm.

But in the end, he still couldn’t take her away.

Cui Xun pondered this thoughtfully. He asked Ji Qingyang, “If you didn’t push the Princess but instead wanted to take her away, how did she fall into the Lotus Pond?”

Ji Qingyang looked at Li Ying, who also wore a puzzled expression. He sighed and shook his head: “I don’t know. Jin Ni sent a carrier pigeon ordering me to return quickly. After that, I left the Lotus Pond to report back to Jin Ni. As for who harmed the Princess, I don’t know either.”

He paused, then added: “Perhaps it was Minister Cui. Minister Cui was the person most unwilling to see this plan fail. He might have had a backup plan in case the emperor softened his heart. It’s hard to say.”

Cui Xun and Li Ying thought the same. This was the most reasonable explanation.

Li Ying felt a mixture of emotions. Father wanted to kill her for the sake of the empire, but at the last moment, he couldn’t bring himself to do it because of their father-daughter bond. She truly didn’t know whether she should continue to hate him or, as Ji Qingyang suggested, hate him a little less.

She was dazed with confusion when Cui Xun suddenly said, “It’s burnt.”

Li Ying and Ji Qingyang both looked at Cui Xun. Cui Xun calmly looked at the charcoal-black grass carp and said, “It’s burnt.”

Ji Qingyang couldn’t help but ask: “How did it get so burnt?”

Cui Xun said, “When I was grilling it earlier, it was too close to the bonfire. By the time I realized and wanted to move it further away, it was too late.”

He seemed to be talking about the grilled fish, yet also not talking about the fish. Li Ying seemed to half-understand, but Cui Xun did appear to be seriously discussing the grilled fish. He continued: “People should take responsibility for their mistakes. This fish of mine is inedible now. You two eat yours.”

Ji Qingyang’s eyes brightened. He smiled and said, “Life goes on. This fish is burnt, but we can catch another one to grill. Young Magistrate Cui, don’t dwell on what’s burnt. Look forward. Perhaps, after a few years, you’ll completely forget about this charcoal-like fish.”

Li Ying lowered her eyelids and smiled slightly. She tore off a piece of fish meat from her grilled fish and held it to Cui Xun’s lips: “How can you not eat? You still have me.”

Cui Xun curved his lips upward. He bit the piece of fish, chewed it, and nodded: “It’s delicious.”

Ji Qingyang smiled, looking at the two people before him. One was like precious jade, the other like clear moonlight through crystal. They matched each other well. Even if they were separated by the boundary between life and death, even if their eventual fate was eternal separation, having this moment of joy was enough.

He believed the Princess thought the same way.

Humans are not gods or Buddhas; they cannot foresee tomorrow. One can only cherish the present.

However, seeing their current happiness, there was something he was reluctant to mention.

Ji Qingyang ate his grilled fish. No one was removing the bones for him, so he ate especially carefully. Beside him was the wooden box he valued as his life. Li Ying looked at the box with curiosity and asked: “What’s inside? Are the Turks hunting you for this?”

Ji Qingyang didn’t answer immediately. Three people with two fish were not enough, so Cui Xun went to the stream to catch more fish. He took Ji Qingyang’s sword, patiently waited for the grass carp to swim close, then thrust down with clean precision. Ji Qingyang watched his figure and said, “Young Magistrate Cui seems quite skilled with a sword.”

Li Ying said, “He’s also quite good with a bow.”

Ji Qingyang glanced at the iron-framed bow that had been modified into a wooden crossbow and shook his head: “What a pity.”

And even with the sword, his thrust’s strength and speed were much worse than an ordinary person’s. Ji Qingyang was an expert in martial arts and could see this at a glance.

That youth from the Heavenly Might Army who could pull a bow so taut birds would fall and draw a sword so swift dragons would die, had finally been ravaged by illness until he could only kill fish.