Hearing these words, Wu Fang sighed and lowered his voice: “Princess, please listen to this servant’s advice—don’t meddle in the affairs of the previous dynasty anymore. Whatever His Majesty wishes to do, let him do it. That’s not something we can control.”

What Wu Fang said, Yunyi understood all too well, but she was, after all, a descendant of the Yang clan. Seeing her own country riddled with problems, she truly couldn’t bring herself to turn a blind eye. However, Wu Fang’s words reminded her of something: “Eunuch Wu, you’ve served by Mother Empress’s side for many years. Do you know why Mother Empress has always refused to interfere in the affairs of the previous dynasty? No matter how I plead with her, she won’t agree to say even one word of persuasion to Father Emperor.”

Wu Fang was startled, then said with a trace of melancholy: “Your Majesty naturally has her reasons for doing so, Princess…”

“I know.” Yunyi interrupted him, saying urgently: “But no matter how I ask, Mother Empress refuses to tell me the reason. Eunuch Wu, please tell me—what is the reason?”

Wu Fang lowered his eyes: “This servant is merely a subordinate. How could I know Your Majesty’s thoughts? However, this servant boldly speculates that Your Majesty doesn’t speak now for the Princess’s own good. When the time is right, she will naturally tell the Princess.”

“But…” Before Yunyi could ask more, Wu Fang had already said: “This servant should return to report to Your Majesty. This servant takes his leave.”

After Wu Fang left, Ruyi saw Yunyi sitting in silent contemplation and said worriedly: “Princess, please listen to Eunuch Wu’s advice and stop interfering in the affairs of the previous dynasty. Forgive this servant’s directness, but His Majesty is becoming increasingly impatient with the Princess’s counsel. If there’s a next time, I fear it won’t be as simple as house arrest.”

Jixiang also said with a worried expression: “Yes, Princess, please don’t concern yourself with those matters anymore.” The Princess had only returned for half a year, yet she’d already been confined twice by His Majesty. She and Ruyi were truly worried.

Yunyi said softly: “I want to be alone for a while. You may all withdraw.”

“Princess…” Before Ruyi could continue, Yunyi said again: “I’m fine. You may all withdraw.”

After only she remained alone in the hall, Yunyi gazed blankly at the yellow wintersweet beside her. All along, everything she had done was for Father Emperor’s good. Why… why would Father Emperor never listen? Must he really wait until the Great Sui’s downfall to feel regret? But when that time truly comes, the Yang clan will have completely lost the people’s hearts—what use would regret be then?

Could it be that, as the prophecy said, the Yang clan was destined to lose the realm, to be replaced by the Li clan?

The Li clan… could it refer to Li Yuan? Compared to Father Emperor, Li Yuan undoubtedly had the people’s hearts, at least in Honghua. Moreover, whether Li Yuan, Li Shimin, or Li Jiancheng—none of them were ordinary people. Once they raised their armies, they would surely become the Great Sui’s greatest threat.

She had tried more than once to tell Father Emperor about this matter, but each time, before she could finish speaking, Father Emperor would impatiently interrupt her, telling her not to interfere anymore.

Yunyi caressed the golden, wax-like flowers and murmured: “Li Shimin… will you father and son truly overthrow this Great Sui realm?”

Far away in Honghua Commandery, Li Shimin was also standing before a pot of yellow wintersweet—the very one that Yunyi had rejected at the beginning of the year. After lying dormant for three seasons, amid the frost and snow, it had bloomed again with dots of pale yellow, emanating a subtle, clear fragrance that filled the entire room.

He had clearly warned himself never to think of that female assassin again, but… she would involuntarily appear in his mind time and again, impossible to dispel, both hated and…

Ridiculously, he didn’t even know what that woman actually looked like. When they first met, she wore an ordinary-looking mask; later she had disguised herself as Meixue, and as for Shen Yunyi… that was presumably also a false name.

Just as he was lost in thought, Chuyi walked in with a beaming smile: “Second Young Master, look who’s here!” Following his words, a woman in an emerald green cloak entered. Beneath the large brim was a refined, transcendent face, smiling at him sweetly.

When the woman saw he remained silent for a long time, she tilted her head: “What’s wrong? After just over two years apart, you no longer recognize me?”

Li Shimin came back to his senses and hurriedly said: “Of course not. I just didn’t expect you to suddenly come, Wugou.” This woman was none other than Li Shimin’s betrothed wife, Zhangsun Wugou.

Zhangsun Wugou smiled charmingly: “Big Brother came to handle some business near Honghua Commandery. I thought it had been a long time since I visited Uncle Li, so I begged Big Brother to bring me along.” The big brother she mentioned was her legitimate elder brother Zhangsun Wuji—both were raised by their maternal uncle Gao Shilian.

Li Shimin said with pleasant surprise: “Brother Zhangsun came too?” Zhangsun Wuji was naturally intelligent and well-versed in literature and history. The two had previously worked together to punish a bully who oppressed the people, and their relationship was quite good.

“Mm, Big Brother is still talking with Uncle Li right now. I came out first to see…” She turned her bright, lively eyes and joked: “Whether Brother Shimin still recognizes me?”

Li Shimin said with mixed laughter and tears: “If I couldn’t even recognize you, Brother Zhangsun would definitely kill me.”

After some laughter, Zhangsun Wugou said with slightly flushed cheeks: “I received the snow lotus painting you sent earlier. I liked it very much. I never imagined that snow lotus would actually exist in Honghua Commandery. Brother Shimin was very thoughtful.”

“I’m glad you like it.” After Li Shimin finished speaking, Zhangsun Wugou asked curiously: “By the way, did Brother Shimin paint that picture? The brushstrokes were very delicate, capturing the beautiful moment when the snow lotus bloomed. The only shortcoming was that the lines weren’t quite right.”

Her words made Li Shimin’s heart twinge, and he smiled: “I don’t have that kind of painting skill. I specially commissioned a painter to do it.”

“I see.” As she spoke, she noticed the yellow wintersweet on the table. She liked it very much and caressed it for a moment, then said with some regret: “In the past when I was in Luoyang, our estate also planted many yellow wintersweet. After leaving Luoyang, I thought about planting them in Zhuguan County where my uncle serves, but unfortunately Zhuguan County’s soil isn’t suitable for growing yellow wintersweet. They all died before they could bloom, and I couldn’t find varieties suitable for potting like this.” As she spoke, she said: “Brother Shimin, could you… give this to me?”

“I…” Li Shimin instinctively wanted to refuse. After all, this pot of yellow wintersweet he had previously intended to give to Yunyi. Although she had rejected it, he had never thought of giving it to someone else.

Seeing Li Shimin’s prolonged silence and what seemed like a struggling expression in his eyes, Zhangsun Wugou tentatively said: “Is it inconvenient? If so, then I…”

“No.” Li Shimin interrupted her, saying: “It’s just a pot of flowers. If you like it, just take it.” He and Yunyi could never meet again, nor would they have any connection in this life. Rather than keeping it here and thinking of someone every time he saw the flowers, it would be better to give it to Zhangsun Wugou, severing his thoughts of Yunyi. From now on, he would wholeheartedly treat Wugou well.