“Green plums, rain, a small boat, a gentleman—interesting, very interesting.”

He took another drink of wine!

Ji Yunshu looked at him, drew in a cold breath, and asked: “Young Master Mo, may I ask a question?”

“Please do.”

“This wine—one more cup can dispel sorrow. But one cup less?”

Hmm?

What an interesting question!

Muruo narrowed his eyes in thought, tapping his temple with his finger, saying: “One more cup dispels sorrow. One cup less… I cannot wake.”

He began drinking again, gulp after gulp.

Ji Yunshu said: “In Young Master Mo’s heart, there has always been one person you cannot let go. Wine can make you forget everything, yet it can also make you remember everything. In wine’s intoxication, sorrow is easily dispelled. In wakeful sobriety, emotions are hard to release.”

Her voice was gentle as falling jade.

Muruo said nothing, only the corners of his lips curved in a smile.

…

Ji Yunshu herself didn’t know why that scene from years past flashed through her mind.

Perhaps she truly wished Muruo had remained drunk and never woken from that time, living forever in his own world.

And she had not called him awake!

How she wished Muruo was still that wine-loving youth from years ago.

Also wished Tang Si was still that Tang Si who loved noise and commotion.

That nothing had changed!

Tears welled up again in Ji Yunshu’s eyes as she said: “Rest assured, I will take good care of your child. I also promise you, I absolutely will not let him know about everything that happened today. I’ll let him live without hatred.”

Her tone was so full of grief.

Then Jingrong took a jade pendant from his sleeve and placed it in the infant’s swaddling clothes.

“This is the only thing your father left behind. Keep it with you always.”

The infant who had been sleeping in the swaddling clothes suddenly wriggled a few times and opened his eyes slightly.

Then fell asleep again!

After this brutal battle, Third Master had suffered severe injuries and was greatly diminished. When he looked at his daughter’s and son-in-law’s gravestone, tears streamed down his aged face.

The pain in his heart was beyond words!

After Ji Yunshu had someone take the child from her arms, she comforted Third Master: “Third Master, the dead cannot return to life!”

Third Master was grief-stricken!

It took him a long while to bear it.

He asked Ji Yunshu: “Can’t… we keep Mo Zhi here?”

Ji Yunshu shook her head gently: “Why make a child bear all this? I promised Tang Si that no matter what, I cannot let him know about everything that happened today. Third Master, rest assured, I also promise you that Mo Zhi will definitely grow up healthy and strong. But right now, Houliao cannot do without you.”

“I understand!”

Third Master was so helpless!

But he had no choice.

After everyone left the hilltop.

Ji Yunshu threw herself into his embrace, crying until tears covered her face.

Jingrong uttered “Ah.”

His chest ached suddenly!

Ji Yunshu immediately pulled away from his embrace. “What’s wrong?”

Jingrong touched his chest.

“You’re injured? Let me see.”

Jingrong grasped her hand firmly and pulled her into his embrace, burying his face in her delicate neck.

“I’m fine. I was only injured by thorns in that River of the Dead, but the wound is no longer serious.”

She pressed her hands against his waist, applying slight pressure, saying: “No, you must let me see the wound.”

“Yunshu!” He still refused to release her, instead holding her even tighter, saying: “Let me hold you like this.”

In that moment, Ji Yunshu stopped pushing him away and allowed him to hold her.

She cried until her face was covered in tears, her whole body trembling.

Jingrong closed his eyes, savoring this moment that belonged to just the two of them.

After a long while, he said: “Do you know? When I jumped down at that moment, my mind was full of you. I didn’t know—you don’t know how much I missed you, how afraid I was of never seeing you again.”

What he feared most was losing Ji Yunshu.

And what Ji Yunshu feared most was also losing him!

One day later.

Jingrong and Ji Yunshu returned to the capital.

Bai Yin remained in Houliao.

With Mu Zha’er’s death, Houliao was leaderless. Everyone was counting on Third Master to lead them in starting anew.

But Third Master bore severe injuries, and combined with the devastating blow of Muruo’s and Tang Si’s deaths, he took to his sickbed that very day.

Bai Yin carried in medicine and placed it by his bedside.

Without disturbing him!

Just as he was about to leave, Third Master suddenly opened his eyes and called to him.

Bai Yin’s steps halted, and he sat by the bedside.

“Third Master?”

“There’s something… I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Third Master coughed once and sat up in bed.

His face was pale, his eyes weak and powerless. He paused for quite a while.

Bai Yin brought the medicine over, saying: “Drink the medicine first.”

Third Master took the bowl of medicine and drank half before setting it down.

This medicine was still prepared according to Muruo’s prescription.

Once swallowed, it made one feel somewhat more alert.

“Take out that plaque and that portrait.”

Bai Yin then took out that square plaque and his mother’s portrait.

And handed them over!

“Third Master? What do you need these for?”

Third Master said nothing. His hands trembled as he received those two items.

As he held them and looked, tears couldn’t help but flow.

His heart ached!

Bai Yin watched him silently, saying nothing.

Third Master looked for quite a while before raising those tear-filled eyes and saying: “What I need to tell you is related to these two items.”

Hmm?

Bai Yin was confused. “Didn’t you already tell us everything you needed to say?”

“I only told half. There’s still another half I haven’t told you both.”

“You both” referred to Bai Yin and Ji Yunshu.

Could there be even more hidden within these objects?

Bai Yin’s expression grew serious, his brows furrowing tightly: “What exactly is it?”

“It concerns your origins!”

Ah!

Bai Yin: “…”

“I originally planned to keep this secret buried forever. I would rather you never knew. But when I felt I was near death, I understood one thing—some things cannot be avoided, nor can they be escaped. I’m afraid if I truly die, I’ll carry this regret with me.”

“What exactly is it?”

Third Master let out a long sigh.

…

The Capital!

In the Imperial Study.

Wei Yi sat quietly inside, his gaze even more calmly observing the scene before him. He wore dragon robes, with a ceremonial crown upon his head.

In full ceremonial dress.

Just like the day of his enthronement!

He had sat in this position for a year now!

Within this year’s time, too many unpredictable things had occurred.

“Things remain but people change”—these words were most fitting to describe his year.

Now, this empty hall seemed to carry in a gust of cold air, making one shiver with cold.

On the desk before him lay a stack of memorials.

Then he opened one and wrote an approval character on it. This should be the last approval he would write.

And at this time outside the hall, a crowd of ministers knelt!

A young eunuch ran in: “Your Majesty, Prince Rong has returned to the capital.”

He set down the brush in his hand and smiled faintly.

This day had still come!