Jiang Shi’s face turned deathly pale.

She couldn’t let her daughter suffer alongside her. Her own body was deteriorating day by day—she wouldn’t last much longer. Therefore, she had to make Zhao’er go find her older sister. Only that way could her future life be less bitter.

“Mother knows you have a good heart, knows you’re filial, but… Mother can’t bear it.”

She lifted her head, watching Jiang Shi’s face grow paler and paler.

“Mother?”

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Jiang Shi suddenly began coughing violently.

She coughed up blood.

Zhao’er was sprayed with blood across her face.

She was stunned on the spot!

“Mother?” Zhao’er held Jiang Shi, crying out loudly.

The coachman outside heard the commotion and turned back to ask, “Miss, what’s wrong?”

Zhao’er shouted frantically, “Quick, quick, go to the medical clinic.”

Fortunately, the carriage hadn’t left the city yet.

The coachman pulled open the curtain and saw the scene inside. He too was frightened and quickly turned the carriage around, heading toward the medical clinic.

Jiang Shi gripped Zhao’er’s hand tightly, saying weakly, “Mother… can’t hold on anymore. Promise Mother you’ll go find your older sister.”

“That won’t happen. You’ll be fine. I’ll take you to find a physician. The physician will heal you, will heal you.”

“Be good. This is Mother’s only wish—I only hope you can live well. Even if Mother dies, I’ll be at peace!”

“Mother…”

“Promise… promise Mother!”

Zhao’er held Jiang Shi, crying in anguish.

She couldn’t hear anything else.

When the carriage arrived outside the medical clinic, the coachman quickly pulled open the curtain and said, “Miss, we’re here!”

However…

The scene before him gave the coachman a tremendous shock.

Zhao’er was holding Jiang Shi’s corpse, gently rocking it, murmuring, “Mother, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine…”

Over and over again.

“Miss, the madam… she’s dead.”

“You’ll be fine…”

“Miss?” The coachman sighed.

He didn’t know what to do.

Because the carriage had stopped outside the medical clinic for so long, it attracted quite a bit of attention.

People gathered around. When they saw clearly who was inside, everyone began discussing.

Pointing and saying, “Isn’t this the Second Miss of Duke Wangguo’s household?”

“Yes, why is she here? Didn’t we hear she’d already left Gaoding?”

“The Duke’s household brought this upon themselves—it’s self-inflicted!”

“Exactly!”

Someone noticed the situation inside the carriage and exclaimed, “Look, isn’t Duke Wangguo’s wife dead?”

“Seems so. Serves them right! We were supposed to be celebrating the New Year joyfully, but they ruined it all. Where’s the festive atmosphere now? The whole city is draped in mourning white.”

The crowd showed not a shred of sympathy!

Everyone’s hearts were as cold as icicles in winter.

Suddenly someone threw a raw egg, hurling it into the carriage.

It struck Zhao’er squarely on the forehead.

It broke.

She seemed to have lost all sensation, acting as if nothing had happened, continuing to hold her mother’s corpse.

This one throw led to more and more people beginning to hurl eggs into the carriage, or other vegetables and such.

They wanted nothing more than to stone Zhao’er to death to vent their anger!

The warmth and coldness of human nature—only when a person falls into misfortune can one see clearly what kind of beast hearts hide beneath those human masks.

The coachman tried to shield them from the front but was pulled away and severely beaten.

Zhao’er was struck until her head bled profusely, yet she desperately protected Jiang Shi in her arms.

Those people kept throwing for who knows how long, finally stopping only when a sharp rebuke rang out.

A group of guards rushed out, arresting all these unruly citizens.

The crowd parted to make way, and two figures approached, stopping outside the carriage.

Zhao’er slowly lifted her head to look, meeting a gaze that was familiar to her.

Bai Yin?

At that moment, she didn’t know why, but the last defensive wall in her heart suddenly collapsed. Before this man, her fragility, her helplessness—all were laid bare before him.

Bai Yin and Lian Que had come together. Looking at Zhao’er covered in blood from the assault inside the carriage, and at Jiang Shi who had already passed away in her arms, both felt immense heartache.

No matter how great the crimes Duke Wangguo had committed in the past, none of it had anything to do with Zhao’er.

Bai Yin’s feelings for this young girl—even he himself didn’t quite understand them. But what he was certain of was that he didn’t want to see Zhao’er suffer, didn’t want to see her cry.

He couldn’t help but walk closer to her, extending his hand.

“From now on, no one will bully you again!”

…

Several days later, the state mourning ended, and the new king ascended the throne.

Bai Yin, dressed in dragon robes, received the bows of all the officials.

Court officials also underwent changes, old and new, with fresh forces being injected into the court.

Marquis Nanguo’s forces occupied nearly all the best positions in the court.

To assist the Emperor in his duties!

After that day, the mourning white throughout the city faded away. The common people rejoiced, and Gaoding City became lively once more.

Two days later, the imperial examinations began.

Song Zhi lived up to expectations, achieving the top scholar position among the top three candidates, entering the Hanlin Academy with a fifth-rank official position.

From beginning to end, he never asked a single question about the palace siege that night.

Regarding all these changes, all he could do was remain silent…

As for why he had stopped composing poetry five years ago, he didn’t mention a word. Perhaps it was a secret hidden in his heart that he would never be willing to “share.”

Days passed one by one, yet there was still no news of Jingrong.

Everyone said Jingrong was dead!

Ji Yinshu no longer refuted anyone. These past days, she was no longer constantly immersed in pain.

Until one day, she made a decision.

A bold decision!

…

The royal palace.

Bai Yin, dressed in dragon robes, stood atop the city tower, his gaze looking out into the distance. His entire bearing was much more dignified and imposing—no longer showing any trace of the wild spirit from when he used to gallop across the grasslands!

Lian Que hurried over, delivering a letter to her.

“It was sent from the Marquis’s residence—a letter from the Princess Imperial to you.”

“Yinshu?”

Bai Yin quickly took it and opened it.

There were only two lines on it.

*To seek across the ends of the earth, unwavering through countless mountains and rivers.*

Ji Yinshu had left!

She had departed!

Carrying that conviction, she had gone to search for Jingrong across the ends of the earth, through countless mountains and rivers!

Lian Que took the letter and looked at it, greatly alarmed. “Should we send people to find her?”

“No need.” Bai Yin stopped her. He gazed into the distance and sighed. “Let her go!”

Let her go recklessly, to the ends of the earth in her search.

Only this way would she live on!

In the third month, the heavy snow had stopped. Warm sunlight spread down, and the white snow among the mountains and forests gradually receded, returning to its original appearance.

Early spring!

A flock of gray birds flew in formation through the woods, then swiftly darted into another patch of forest, disappearing without a trace.

The carriage moved slowly through the forest, its wheels grinding against small stones, producing a series of sounds.

Since it was the snow-melting season, the coachman drove very carefully. But seeing the weather was quite good, the coachman was in good spirits too, occasionally calling into the carriage, “Miss, you chose such a good time to travel—the sun is even out!”

Ji Yinshu sat inside the carriage, her gaze calm, her complexion much more spirited.

At this moment, she held Jing Xuan’s ashes in her arms. She had promised Jing Xuan that she would take her back to Dalin.