He cast another cold glance at Xiao’an. “If you weren’t my aunt, I—”

His eyes clearly held killing intent, like a poisoned blade.

Xiao’an laughed heartily. “Good, very good indeed! For that little wretch, you would actually kill me with your own hands? The nephew I personally raised and nurtured now treats me this way! Fortunately, military power hasn’t been returned to your hands.”

Huo Chang’an raised his eyebrows and smiled, his eyes full of wild arrogance and complete indifference. “What does military power matter? I’ve always served in the army only for my aspirations.”

“So be it. You personally cultivated me, and I’ll repay the debt of your arranging my marriage to Lian Yue and your grace in not killing me when you saw me. Consider it that she and I are fated to have bitter lives.” As he spoke, he put the dagger back in his chest and turned to leave without a backward glance.

“Chang’an! Huo Chang’an! Come back.” Xiao’an’s body suddenly swayed. This Empress Dowager who had always lived in luxury, her voice was hoarse, her hair disheveled, and her eyes had turned red.

“Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship, don’t be like this…” Red Sister watched sadly from the side, pleadingly looking at Lian Yu. “Your Majesty, won’t you advise the Marquis? The Marquis says Imperial Concubine Wei is his life. Though you and the Marquis aren’t Your Ladyship’s biological children, aren’t you and he also Your Ladyship’s life?”

Lian Yu closed his eyes forcefully, then helped Xiao’an up in place of Red Sister. “I and Chang’an will forever be grateful to Mother, but Mother, if you love us, we don’t ask that you can cherish those we love—just please understand our choices. Mother, Wu Yan isn’t just the woman Chang’an loves, but also a close friend who grew up with us.”

“How many friends can people like us have? Even among common people, how many have the fortune of childhood sweethearts who grew up together? This is fate, good fortune—something no one can replace. Mother, think about it carefully and rest well. I’ll come see you again.” As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve slightly and prepared to leave with Lian Qin.

Xiao’an wiped her eyes and laughed again, her voice sharp and fierce.

“Good, Yu’er, Your Majesty, your wings have hardened now. You’re no longer that pitiful child hiding in corners eating others’ leftovers, no longer need Mother’s protection, and even know how to lecture Mother. Someday, you might even depose Mother for your own heart’s desires.”

Lian Yu paused, then slowly turned back, staring intently at Xiao’an. “Mother, in my heart, I have two mothers—one is my birth mother, and the other is you. I dare not forget Mother’s great kindness for a moment. I only hope Mother won’t someday force me to stand before you in the same manner as you’re forcing Chang’an now.”

“Force? Your Majesty, don’t speak to me of emotions and love. In this world, the least qualified to discuss these two words are monarchs. I’ve struggled in this palace for decades. Here there is only power and interests, only new favorites and old ones—there is no love. There’s only one Huo Chang’an, and he’s not even an emperor yet. I fear that someday, the one who forces the person you’re defending so vocally today into a desperate situation won’t be me.”

Xiao’an looked at her beloved son with equally cold, emotionless words flowing from her red lips.

Lian Yu said nothing more and left in silence.

Back at the Court of Justice

When Huo Chang’an returned to the Court of Justice, everyone had dispersed. Su Zhen was helping Wu Yan walk in the courtyard.

With his emotions having risen and fallen dramatically, afraid his own fear would frighten her as well, he was about to compose himself before going in when he heard Su Zhen scolding Wu Yan. “Your wound isn’t healed yet, but you insist on coming out to walk. After taking medicine, you should rest properly. What’s so interesting about this Court of Justice courtyard?”

From Su Zhen’s tone, it wasn’t hard to tell she had been unable to resist Wu Yan’s strong request and had brought her out.

Wu Yan smiled. “The dead have plenty of time to lie down. I feel stifled staying inside. Though it hurts now, I feel much better.”

His heart ached greatly, and he heard Su Zhen say, “When Huo Chang’an comes back in a while, you should talk with him…”

“I don’t want to see him again…”

She shook her head as she spoke. Su Zhen seemed startled and momentarily lost her grip. Wu Yan’s body went soft and she was about to fall—Huo Chang’an’s heart was cut like a knife. He wanted to go out and support her but didn’t dare.

How could he have forgotten? Those close to ink become black—Lian Yu, like Li Huaisu, was skilled at deception. Afraid he would cause trouble in the palace, they had tricked him into returning.

“How can you be so careless?”

Someone spoke up, half-embracing Wu Yan.

Wu Yan’s face reddened as she gently struggled. “Seventh Prince.”

Su Zhen quickly took Wu Yan over and scolded, “Lian Jie, this is an extraordinary time. I was kind enough to let you stay, so don’t break the rules. Weren’t you supposed to stay in Zhui Ming and the others’ room? If you want to sleep, then sleep. If not, play with them.”

Lian Jie gave a self-mocking smile. “How could I sleep? I’ve been standing by the window the whole time watching you. I knew you ladies had intimate things to discuss and didn’t want to disturb you. I only came when I saw Wu Yan about to fall…”

“Seventh Prince, I’m a dying person—why treat me this way?” Wu Yan shook her head. “Go back to your room and sleep.”

“I’ve told you, whether it’s worth it or not, I decide for myself. Wei Wu Yan, I’ll always wait for you.” After leaving this statement, Lian Jie slowly departed.

Wu Yan couldn’t help but frown, looking at his retreating figure with some bewilderment.

“Wu Yan?”

Su Zhen’s soft call went unanswered. Xiao Zhou came out of his room and called again before Wu Yan reacted.

Xiao Zhou smiled. “I’ve said before that the Seventh Prince is good, but Marquis Huo is also very good.”

“Huo Chang’an… is very good, but there’s no longer any possibility between him and me in this lifetime,” Wu Yan said.

Su Zhen and Xiao Zhou were both very anxious and asked why.

Wu Yan’s eyes reflected the scenery before her, but her voice seemed far away. “I don’t know either. I just feel it should be this way. Perhaps I should say, my love for him was never as deep as his love for me. I thought saving Lian Yue was for him, but having experienced life and death, upon waking and thinking it over leisurely, it was ultimately for myself—wanting him to feel guilty. But when he truly became as guilty as a madman, I became afraid.”

Huo Chang’an’s Retreat

Huo Chang’an’s foot that was about to step out finally froze in place. At this moment, every sword wound on his body began to flare up along with the wound in his heart, causing him to slowly crouch down in pain.

He had always thought he was strong—strong enough to ignore seven or eight wounds on his body. But it turned out he wasn’t.

However, if this was her choice, then he would accept it.

In the past, he would do many crazy things because she didn’t love him. But now he would no longer do such things. He only needed to silently watch over her.

The more time he spent with her, the more he discovered he loved her. If he truly had to ask why—was it youthful sudden infatuation, was it because he never ultimately obtained her, or was it the effort he had invested in her that made him unconsciously sink deeper—he didn’t know.

But it had to be her and no one else.

He didn’t return to the Huo residence but dragged his weary body slowly back to the villa.

Upon reaching the villa, he wrote a divorce document and had an old servant deliver it to the Huo residence to be placed in Lian Yue’s hands. From now on, whenever Lian Yue sought him, he would refuse to see her. He also instructed Long Ying Gun and Ji Er Zhang to move here, while letting the elderly couple, Uncle Liang and Aunt Liang, choose for themselves.

After completing all this, he finally dared to let his head fall to one side and collapse at his desk.

More than ten days passed. Wu Yan’s sword wound gradually healed. Lian Yu, Lian Jie, and Huo Chang’an sent many fine medicines, including several thousand-year-old ginseng roots. Though these things couldn’t completely neutralize the poison, they could delay its effects and buy her an extra month or two. Fortunately, Su Zhen had discovered when Lian Yue offered the wine that day, preventing one dose of poison—otherwise, no matter how precious the medicine, it couldn’t save someone destined to die.

During this period, the biggest news inside and outside the palace was the divorce between the Prince Consort and the Princess Imperial. Additionally, regarding the two assassins the Court of Justice had painstakingly brought back, when Su Zhen went to interrogate them the next day, she discovered they had mysteriously died in their prison cells from poison.

Clearly, before Tie Shou and the others had imprisoned them, they had not only sealed acupoints but thoroughly searched for weapons, even carefully checking their teeth to prevent hidden poison and suicide by swallowing poison.

Before Lian Yu arrived with his people, Su Zhen had Tie Shou and the others guard the prison cells to prevent enemies from secretly rescuing prisoners. When Lian Yu came, she borrowed dozens of his secret guards, giving the enemy plenty of face by guarding all around—not even a fly could get in.

Who knew the enemy also gave her plenty of face by creating such a locked-room murder case.

Lian Yu led people to carefully examine Imperial Concubine Yu’s tomb and discovered that the bones in the coffin had been completely burned, all turned to ash and mixed with the tomb’s dirt.

With two coroners dead in this case and Lian Yu’s mother’s remains desecrated, Lian Yu forbade Su Zhen from continuing the investigation. In anger, Su Zhen personally drew two portraits based on the assassins’ faces, distributed them throughout the capital to trace their identities and origins, and had Wu Qing use the Six Doors’ power to investigate deep into both the martial world and the court.

Meanwhile, Huo Chang’an kept his promise to Lian Jie and Wu Yan, rarely appearing at the Court of Justice, only visiting Wu Yan every three days. Lian Jie, however, had moved in to provide constant medical care in case of emergencies.

Lian Jie and Wu Yan got along increasingly well. Both were learned in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Sometimes a single exchanged glance would result in knowing smiles. Xiao Zhou said that choosing either would be fine—both treated Wu Yan extremely well. Su Zhen was also happy for Wu Yan, though as Wu Yan’s time slowly slipped away, she couldn’t help but feel heartache for that old friend.

One night, getting up to relieve herself, she discovered a black shadow standing outside like a statue. She was startled and about to cry out when something suddenly dawned on her.

Su Zhen found it very strange and repeatedly asked Lian Yu why people who had pledged life and death couldn’t be together. Lian Yu said indifferently that he didn’t know either, but he had seen and heard many such things in the palace. Perhaps when emotions reach their peak, they turn sparse. When Su Zhen asked Wu Qing, Xiao Zhou, and the others, they said they had also seen and heard many such things in the martial world. People in the martial world loved to say: “Better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than to help each other survive in dire straits.”

This made Su Zhen feel very sad, both for Wu Yan’s fading life and for their love. It was like seeing something hot and delicious that you really wanted to eat on a plate. You reached with your chopsticks, but your neighbor grabbed it first. Later you snatched it back from their bowl, but then had bad luck and dropped it on the ground. You could wash it and still eat it, but thinking it had fallen on the ground and grown cold, you decided not to eat it after all.

But no matter how sad you felt, time still passed. Until this day, Su Zhen found a letter on her desk in her room.