Clear skies after the rain!

Ji Yunshu was held tightly by Jingrong. She worried about his wound bleeding, so she didn’t dare move randomly. But those scalding tears still burst from her eyes, sliding past the corners of her eyes, her cheeks, her chin, her neck… dripping onto Jingrong’s shoulder.

He could feel those few drops of moist tears on his shoulder, making him unable to resist holding the woman in his embrace even tighter.

Ji Yunshu asked: “Will it? Will the skies truly clear after the rain?”

Jingrong: “Yes! They definitely will!”

But after experiencing disappointment and setbacks time and again, she no longer dared to hope.

After a long while, she rose from Jingrong’s embrace. Her gaze fixed on the man’s dark eyes before her. She reached out her hand, gently touching his cold, hard face, and asked chokingly: “Then will we always be together?”

“Silly, of course we will.”

“But I’m so afraid.”

Jingrong grasped the hand caressing his face and told her firmly: “You just need to remember—no matter where you are, I will use all my strength to find you!”

Ji Yunshu nodded through her tears!

Afterward, she slowly crouched down, pillowing her head on Jingrong’s lap, her gaze looking ahead… Jingrong gently stroked her head, looking down at her profile, her nose, her thick long lashes… Deep apology filled his heart. He should have taken her away from this troubled place, gone where she wanted to go, done what she wanted to do, stayed by her side forever. But he had always made her constantly run around, constantly cry in pain…

“Yunshu, I’m sorry!”

When Ji Yunshu heard these words, her eyes flickered slightly.

In their silence, they had already understood each other’s thoughts.

The night grew cold!

In the eleventh month, the weather began to bring more rain.

Cold wind carrying rain swept through the major and minor lanes of the capital. Winter rain was like cold, chilling people’s hearts and chilling the myriad states of the world.

Wei Yi stood atop Wangyue Tower. His hollow, sorrowful gaze lingered long on the densely arrayed palaces in the distance. The misty drizzle blurred the scene before him. The bright red light of the lamps spread out like ink in water, intoxicating the eye and intoxicating the heart.

The rain slanted, wetting the palace walls, wetting the flagstones.

Wetting his hair and also wetting his yellow-brown dragon robe.

The cold began to run rampant throughout his body until numbness set in!

A eunuch at his side held an umbrella. During this time, he had tried multiple times to shelter him from the rain with the umbrella in his hand, but was rebuked each time and told to leave. After several attempts, the eunuchs no longer dared to speak. Provoking the Emperor’s anger was a capital offense—no one could bear that responsibility.

So they simply stood silently to the side, watching helplessly as the Emperor stood in the fine rain.

Wei Yi didn’t know how long he had stood in the rain. Only after the pain in his heart was dispersed by the cold did he finally leave Wangyue Tower.

The next day.

Wei Yi issued an imperial edict, dismissing all the officials he had previously promoted to court.

Not leaving a single one!

It shocked the entire court.

Then he issued a second imperial edict, reassigning those officials of Jingrong’s faction back to their positions in court. For those unwilling to re-enter court, he bestowed generous rewards and removed all the fabricated charges that had been placed upon them!

And what shocked people even more was that just after the first two edicts were issued, Wei Yi immediately issued a third imperial edict.

Honoring Qin Shiyu with the title “Duke Ding’en”!

The court began discussing heatedly, speculating about Wei Yi’s intentions this time.

Had that fellow changed his nature?

Or had he gone mad?

This action of his undoubtedly strengthened Jingrong’s faction’s power. He had undoubtedly become a puppet emperor again.

The testament in Jingrong’s hands was equivalent to controlling Wei Yi, and also advising him onto the right path.

Everything had become calm!

But—

Was Wei Yi truly resigned to this?

Behind all this, had things truly become calm?

Fangjin Bureau.

Ji Wanxin was embroidering in the embroidery room. Since returning from that visit to Wei Yi, she had been listless the whole time.

Ziwei also noticed and silently sat beside her, asking with concern: “Wanxin, I’ve seen you distracted these past two days. Are you feeling unwell?”

As she spoke, she reached toward her forehead to check.

“No fever!”

Ji Wanxin deliberately avoided slightly.

Ziwei continued asking: “Did something happen? Or… are you homesick?”

Ji Wanxin replied: “No.”

“Then what’s wrong with you?”

“I’m fine.”

“We’re all sisters—what can’t be said? Tell me about it and I can help you solve it. Besides, didn’t Nanny say last time that we should look out for each other? You’ve just arrived at the palace and don’t know anyone. If something’s on your mind, just say it directly. Don’t bottle it up and make yourself sick. I promise not to tell anyone else.”

Ziwei rattled off a long string of words, all in a flattering tone.

Really good at bootlicking!

If it weren’t for the fact that Nanny Jiang had been inexplicably so good to Ji Wanxin these past few days, Ziwei probably wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic toward her either.

Ji Wanxin was a smart person, so she saw right through Ziwei’s little schemes.

But seeing through didn’t mean exposing.

She embroidered the brocade in her hands while saying without raising her head: “I’m really fine, thank you for your concern.”

“Really?”

“I’ve just never liked rainy days since childhood. But it rained all last night, so my mood was inevitably affected.”

“So that’s it. But if you really feel unwell anywhere, you must tell me!”

“Mm.”

“By the way, Wanxin, I see Nanny Jiang is incredibly good to you. You wouldn’t…”

Ji Wanxin immediately interrupted her words, a trace of impatience in her eyes: “Ziwei, I still have work to finish.”

As she spoke, she raised the brocade in her hands.

Ziwei smiled awkwardly, feeling like her warm face had met a cold backside, so she had no choice but to leave.

Before leaving, she muttered: “How boring.”

Ji Wanxin sighed, her expression darkening.

At this moment—

She heard the conversation of several embroiderers behind her.

“Have you heard? The Emperor issued several imperial edicts today.”

Several embroiderers exclaimed in shock, asking: “Several? Did something major happen?”

Ji Wanxin’s embroidery movements stopped. Her body leaned back somewhat as she pricked up her ears to listen curiously.

She heard a plump embroiderer lower her voice and say: “Today the Emperor issued a total of three imperial edicts. The first dismissed all the officials the Emperor had previously promoted to court. The second summoned Minister Lu, Minister Zhou, and others back to court. And this third one honored the deceased Minister Qin with the title Duke Ding’en.”

Speaking very excitedly.

“Ah?” Someone questioned, “Is it true?”

“Of course it’s true! The edicts have already been issued—would I lie to you?”

“What happened to the Emperor? Why did he suddenly issue three consecutive edicts?”

“Heaven knows!” That plump embroiderer’s eyes rolled, and she said mysteriously again, “However, I heard it’s because of Prince Rong.”

“Prince Rong?”