Li Weiyang looked at Li Minde in shock. In this instant, she felt the youth before her gave her an extremely unfamiliar illusion.

“Minde…” Li Weiyang involuntarily said, “It seems you’ve never let me know your identity.”

Li Minde was startled at these words, then moved closer. The gleaming candlelight flickered on his jade-like face, and the shadow of his eyelashes swayed lightly with it: “Do you truly want to know?”

Li Weiyang nodded solemnly, then glanced at the carriage window: “Isn’t now a good time?”

Li Minde smiled slightly: “Them? It doesn’t matter.” Clearly he didn’t take Jiang Nan seriously. “If you want to know…”

Li Weiyang felt his smile looked very strange. Just moments ago he had seemed so spirited, but when she asked about his true identity, his expression seemed to reveal a kind of sadness. Though he was still smiling, she had a strange feeling, as if he were about to cry.

“If you don’t want to say, I’ll repeat what I said before—unless you tell me yourself, otherwise…” Li Weiyang said slowly.

Just then, Zhao Nan outside called loudly: “Young Master, everyone outside has been dealt with, except the leader.” Outside the carriage, Zhao Nan gritted his teeth. Jiang Nan had fled in panic, and they hadn’t managed to catch him. “Master, rest assured, these people will be handled immediately…”

“Dead?” Baizhi’s eyes widened in horror, staring at Zhao Yue beside her, but the other remained perfectly calm, as if completely unconcerned.

Li Weiyang looked at Li Minde with equal shock. He had killed all of Jiang Nan’s men? How was that possible?

“They’re just mountain bandits. I’m doing the Capital Magistrate a favor by eliminating these threats. The court shouldn’t take issue with it.” Li Minde lowered his eyes and said slowly.

Li Weiyang couldn’t help but lift the carriage curtain and glance outside. Apart from a group of black-clad guards standing solemnly on horseback, there wasn’t a living soul left. Those men of Jiang Nan’s were all elite soldiers—these people’s speed… She couldn’t help but feel alarmed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll naturally handle it. I won’t let Jiang Nan make an issue of it.” Li Minde smiled as he said this.

Li Weiyang frowned: “But—”

Li Minde shook his head: “He should learn a lesson. As for these people outside, I’ll inform the Capital Magistrate that they’re a band of private soldiers who infiltrated the capital. Each of them possesses martial skills and battle experience. They came to the capital but hid among the common people, robbing passing officials and wealthy merchants. Today they encountered the Li household’s guards. If Jiang Nan wants to claim these corpses, that would be even better—we can also charge the Jiang family with harboring private soldiers. I don’t think he’d be so bold as to admit before the Emperor that he brought elite troops into the capital.”

Li Weiyang couldn’t help but laugh. Though these military generals all had large numbers of soldiers, once they entered the capital, they weren’t permitted to bring a single soldier. They could only use their household guards, and these guards naturally couldn’t compare to battle-hardened soldiers. Many generals secretly disguised their stationed soldiers and brought them into the capital, but these were private matters never brought to light. Others did this and the censors turned a blind eye, as every family knew to exercise restraint. But the Jiang family was different—the censors were watching them like hawks. Jiang Nan of course wouldn’t admit his guards were all battle-hardened soldiers. Once he admitted it, people throughout the realm would think the Jiang family had disloyal intentions… He wasn’t that foolish.

“What if people ask why your guards are so formidable?” Li Weiyang raised her eyebrows.

Li Minde smiled slightly: “The guards of Prime Minister Li’s household are naturally extraordinary.”

Most of those people outside weren’t actually Li household guards. Many details wouldn’t withstand scrutiny. Li Weiyang thought: “Who exactly are they?”

Li Minde lowered his voice: “The Hawk Squad handles killing, the Owl Squad handles corpse disposal. Everything will be cleaned up quickly—I guarantee not a trace will be left. Don’t worry, I’m only joking. I won’t actually turn over so many corpses to the Capital Magistrate. Otherwise this matter would cause a sensation tomorrow. In a quarter hour, not even a drop of blood will remain here.”

Li Weiyang wanted to remain calm, but she truly couldn’t. Though the expression on Baizhi’s face could be described as dumbstruck, the shock in Li Weiyang’s heart was really no less. She didn’t know when such a group of people had appeared around Li Minde, yet she had never been aware of their existence. No—not just her. Probably everyone in the Li family remained completely oblivious. Why… how could Minde have recruited such people? Li Weiyang’s mind raced rapidly. To kill Jiang Si’s band of battle-hardened soldiers with a single strike—these were definitely not ordinary guards. Calling them ace assassins wouldn’t be an exaggeration. How could such a terrifying group gather around Minde? She herself had tried to recruit highly skilled guards with large sums of money, but found only a batch of so-called experts greedy for wealth, really no better than the Li household’s guards. Only later did she realize such talents needed to be cultivated from the start, but she simply didn’t have that kind of time. Relying solely on money couldn’t form a high-quality guard force. Yet today, she actually saw an ace force of ruthless killers around Li Minde…

“I think you need to explain this to me clearly.” Li Weiyang felt she couldn’t pretend indifference anymore. She had to find out about Minde’s origins.

Li Minde lowered his eyes and said lightly: “My background may be very long. Are you willing to listen?”

Li Weiyang nodded: “I’m willing to listen. As long as you speak, no matter how long, I’ll listen to the end.”

Li Minde waved his hand: “Zhao Yue, take Baizhi to the rear carriage.”

Baizhi glanced at Li Weiyang. Seeing her nod gently, she followed Zhao Yue and left. Outside the carriage, Zhao Nan was guarding the door. That group of black-clad assassins had all disappeared as if they’d never appeared, leaving the dumbstruck Li family guards looking at each other. Zhao Nan lowered his head. He would have ways to make these people keep quiet, wouldn’t he…

“First, I must start with Yuexi’s previous Emperor.” Li Minde spoke with a calm expression, as if talking about someone else’s affairs, his face showing not a trace of emotion. “He doted on the young and beautiful Consort Liu, neglecting Empress Song. Believing Consort Liu’s words, he thought Empress Song was using witchcraft to curse him and attempting treason. He not only ordered the Song clan confiscated but also had Empress Song strangled. At that time, Empress Song’s cousin Consort Qian had just given birth to a little princess. Because she dared to plead for Empress Song, Consort Liu had her beaten to death on the spot and sent her newborn princess to the Cold Palace. As for the Crown Prince born to Empress Song, just two years old, Consort Liu framed him for participating in the Empress’s treason case and had him imprisoned together with the Song clan. Because too many officials pleaded for mercy, the Crown Prince survived but remained imprisoned. The Song family members who had accompanied him were one by one executed by quartering, beheaded, or exiled over the course of just one year… Finally, only this Crown Prince remained. At that time, he gradually grew up, but no one taught him, and no one dared tell him who he was. They just kept him isolated in a prison cell.”

Li Weiyang looked at Minde’s calm face but intuitively felt this Yuexi Crown Prince must have some connection to him.

“Consort Liu later gave birth to an imperial son. The Emperor was overjoyed and immediately elevated her to Empress, sending envoys everywhere to pray to mountain and river deities. Who knew that heaven wouldn’t comply with human wishes? Before the child reached one month, this dragon son died young. Empress Liu also never conceived again. Therefore she became extremely jealous of concubines bearing children. If she learned any concubine was pregnant, she would by any means force them to drink medicine and abort. Under pressure from her palace authority, the concubines could only tearfully comply. Later, not only did Consort Liu remain supremely favored, but she wielded power throughout the court. Even the Emperor couldn’t control her. The Liu clan controlled eunuchs internally and held court power externally. Court officials didn’t dare question it. Several years passed. The Emperor remained without an heir. The palace and court, nobility and commoners all worried. Yuexi’s ministers repeatedly memorialized requesting the Emperor to broadly bestow favor, but his age was gradually advancing and he had no way to produce another son. At this time, he remembered that Crown Prince who had been imprisoned all along…”

Li Weiyang instinctively said: “So the Crown Prince was brought back?”

Li Minde smiled: “After Empress Liu heard about this matter, she killed all the officials who had submitted memorials, even severely rebuking the Emperor. This Emperor… was actually quite useless. He couldn’t control his woman, couldn’t control his throne. Even memorials had to rely on Empress Liu to review. What could he do? Only watch helplessly as upright officials died. After this incident, Empress Liu became even more hateful toward the Crown Prince. Before, she had spared his life only because many officials believed that though Empress Song was guilty of treason, the Crown Prince was innocent, so at first she had no way to kill him. As for later, she completely forgot about him. But after this incident, she remembered him again. That year, the Crown Prince was ten years old, yet spent every day confined in a dark prison cell. No one dared tell him who he was. He didn’t even have anyone to talk to.”

“Empress Liu wanted to kill him?” A trace of emotion stirred in Li Weiyang’s heart. Yuexi was located south of Dali—a vast, prosperous land. However, the two nations had little interaction, so she had no way to learn these imperial secrets. Yet succession struggles in this world were mostly cruel. This innocent Crown Prince—Empress Liu probably wouldn’t spare him.

“Empress Liu initially wanted to kill the Crown Prince, but… she and Empress Song had years of enmity and had long hated each other thoroughly. One time she accidentally saw the exquisitely carved little princess and involuntarily thought of Empress Song and Consort Qian, thought of the hatred between them… So she conceived a vicious idea that only she could think of.” Li Minde lowered his eyes, as if unwilling to continue, yet had to keep speaking: “She brought the little princess out from the Cold Palace and sent her to the prison to accompany the Crown Prince day and night. However, she didn’t allow anyone to tell them their true identities. The Crown Prince was ten at the time, the little princess only eight. They naturally became each other’s support and playmates.”

Li Minde’s expression grew increasingly unusual, his tone showing a trace of agitation. Li Weiyang gently grasped his hand. His body trembled, but he quickly regained his composure.

“From age two, the Crown Prince had seen no one. Of course he was very happy to have a good friend and playmate. So over the next eight years, the only one who could bring the Crown Prince comfort was this little girl. No matter how harsh the guards were to him, no matter how people feared him and refused to play with him, this little girl always accompanied him, comforted him, and even later began caring for his daily needs. In the Crown Prince’s heart, this person who stayed by his side day and night was his reliable support. So… when he reached eighteen, and the little girl had reached sixteen… they… they… fell in love with each other…”

Li Weiyang froze slightly, her fingers suddenly stopping. How was this possible?! Yuexi’s Crown Prince and Princess? They were half-siblings!

The sorrow between Li Minde’s brows gathered like overcast skies, refusing to disperse: “They didn’t know their relationship to each other. They only huddled together for warmth. As time passed, naturally very complex feelings developed… The only ones who knew about this were the jailer who had been monitoring them and Empress Liu. This was precisely her purpose—she wanted to watch Empress Song and Consort Qian stamp their feet beneath the earth, to prevent them from resting in peace even in death, to make the imperial family bear this stain forever! Only this way did she feel happy, feel satisfied! Because her own son died young, everyone said this was Empress Song cursing her from below. So she became increasingly mad, increasingly abnormal…”

“This Empress Liu truly isn’t an ordinary madwoman. Her madness is quite severe.” Li Weiyang’s heart was shocked to the extreme. If one hated, one should simply kill. But Empress Liu perversely did the opposite—not only letting the Crown Prince and Princess live, but making them fall in love, making Empress Song and Consort Qian unable to rest in peace, making them watch helplessly as people who absolutely shouldn’t love each other fall in love. Wasn’t this the best revenge?!

In Li Minde’s pitch-black eyes flashed a layer of hazy hatred. That hatred seemed to have frozen into a thin layer of shattered ice, condensing layers of cold air.

“Together for eight years, in love for three years—the two of them spent a full eleven years together. During these eleven years, they only had each other, so they only trusted each other. If possible, I wish they had never known the truth—” Li Minde’s voice trembled slightly, but he continued speaking: “Until Empress Liu fell gravely ill and could no longer control court affairs, and the Liu family, because of their excessive arrogance, faced resistance from the Nation-Stabilizing General Pei Xiu. To deal with the Liu clan, General Pei thought of the Crown Prince… Finally, a diviner said there was an emperor’s aura in the prison. The Emperor sent an envoy to bring out the Crown Prince, report to the Imperial Clan Court and reinstate him in the imperial genealogy. Only then was the Crown Prince’s status recognized by the imperial family. At this time, the gravely ill Empress Liu finally died. A month later, the Emperor, aged and incompetent, also passed away. Afterward, Pei Xiu supported the Crown Prince in inheriting the throne.”

This seemed like a happy ending—the villains died, and the good people should get good results. But what about another person… Li Weiyang tentatively asked: “Then… what about the Princess?”

“Pei Xiu married his own daughter, the just-fifteen-year-old Miss Pei, to the Crown Prince… no, he was now Yuexi’s Emperor, so Miss Pei also became Empress Pei.”

Li Weiyang frowned slightly: “Did no one mention that Princess? Did the Emperor forget her too?”

“The Emperor brought her into the palace, but he had no way to fulfill his promise to marry her as his wife. Not because Pei Xiu was powerful, not because his heart had changed, but because he simply couldn’t accept the fact that she was his imperial sister. So she could only be enfeoffed as Princess Qixia, dwelling alone in the deep palace. But—they couldn’t control their mutual affection, so they continued their secret liaison. This matter was finally discovered by Empress Pei a year later. She didn’t make it public but quietly went home crying to complain. Empress Pei’s father, General Pei who had supported the Emperor’s enthronement, ordered the censors to memorialize saying the Princess had passed marriageable age and should wed soon…”

Li Weiyang listened carefully. She could now roughly guess what happened next, but she still didn’t know how this matter related to Li Minde. Li Minde continued: “The Emperor desperately tried to prevent it, even going so far as to promise the Pei clan that as long as they didn’t interfere with the Princess’s affairs, he could grant them full control of court governance—”

This was choosing beauty over empire, and this beauty was the Emperor’s own sister. Li Weiyang didn’t know if such feelings were right or wrong, but the emergence of these feelings wasn’t these two young people’s fault… So she didn’t know now whether to give them sympathy or something else. But she felt she could understand the Yuexi Emperor’s feelings. Once rumors spread, the Princess could only die. So this relationship could never be made public.

“But Princess Qixia was unwilling to let him sacrifice so much for her. Because she knew he still had many things to do, including the Liu clan members who hadn’t been completely eliminated. Their great revenge wasn’t yet avenged. If they only thought of themselves, it would be disregarding the spirits of Empress Song and Consort Qian… Moreover, as long as she remained in the palace one day, the Emperor refused to be close with the Empress, refused to take concubines, disregarding court criticism. So she resolutely agreed to marry Cui Jing, a famous beauty among men in Yuexi at the time.”

“What happened next?” Li Weiyang asked softly.

“That Prince Consort Cui was from the legitimate branch of the Changling Cui clan—talented in both civil and martial arts, refined and elegant. He should have been a good match for the Princess. But no one expected that this Prince Consort Cui, seen by all as a man of talent and good character, had somehow heard many rumors saying the Princess was of improper conduct and shameless. From their wedding day, he never once entered the Princess’s chambers, only doting on his concubine Taoye. Later when the Emperor learned of this, he was naturally heartbroken, but had to suppress such pain and warn Prince Consort Cui to treat the Princess well. But no matter what he did, Prince Consort Cui went his own way. Even when the Princess fell ill in bed, he refused to visit her. Finally, believing the Princess had reported everything to the Emperor, he confined her to her chambers, denying her food and water. When the Emperor learned of this, he disregarded Empress Pei’s obstruction and forcibly brought the Princess into the palace… Moreover, he exiled the Prince Consort Cui who had abused the Princess and forced them to divorce. From then on, the Princess lived in the palace as an independent woman… Seeing he couldn’t stop the Emperor, General Pei said that as long as the Emperor would father a Crown Prince with the Empress, he could keep the Princess.”

Li Weiyang was shocked. She hadn’t expected even the Pei family to use their relationship as leverage… Such despicable methods were really no better than the former Empress Liu’s.

“The Emperor had just ascended the throne. All matters awaited attention. Moreover, he couldn’t let others threaten the Princess’s life again. So he agreed. However, it wasn’t just Empress Pei who bore an imperial son—he consecutively took several consorts into the palace, and these women all gave birth to imperial sons. The Pei family was naturally angry but helpless, because those consorts all came from great Yuexi clans that they couldn’t easily touch. Two of them had even been staunch Pei supporters. But once they had imperial sons to rely on, naturally they no longer wanted to depend on the Pei clan. Instead they hoped to support imperial sons with their own bloodline to the Crown Prince position. Naturally, the Pei family’s power was unknowingly divided by these people. The Emperor no longer needed to fear Pei family threats…” At this point, Li Minde suddenly sighed deeply, then sharply changed direction: “After court matters temporarily quieted, the Emperor no longer favored these palace consorts but focused on staying with the Princess. Empress Pei temporarily endured, pretending to know nothing. But soon she couldn’t sit still, because the Princess became pregnant, and moreover, the Emperor was determined to let this child be born regardless of consequences.”

Li Weiyang looked at Li Minde in shock. As siblings, even for ordinary families, falling in love was intolerable by worldly standards, let alone in the imperial family! Not only did they love each other, but they also wanted to produce offspring… Once such news spread, it would be enough to destroy the entire imperial family. Yet despite such crisis, the Yuexi Emperor still let his sister bear this child. How mad was this love?

Li Minde’s gaze was very empty, as if looking at some unknown place. Perhaps he simply had no way to face Li Weiyang’s eyes. Because no one else in this world could accept such bloodline, such terror, such filth. No matter how much those two people loved each other, they were siblings. Not only should they not be together, they shouldn’t have conceived shared bloodline… Just thinking about it, he felt others’ gazes were like wrapped knives, not only stabbing his face painfully but also cutting his heart into pieces.

“I imagine… Empress Pei wouldn’t tolerate such a child being born. Not just her—probably those who had remained silent before would now collectively oppose it…” Li Weiyang remained silent for a long time before saying this. This was almost certain. Moreover, she faintly sensed this child was Li Minde. But she didn’t immediately expose this, instead continuing to listen.

“What happened next was simple. The Emperor wanted to keep their bloodline, but this child was cursed by heaven from birth. The Princess couldn’t accept it at all. Since being with the Emperor, she had been tortured by endless nightmares every night, falling into self-loathing and pain. Later, the Princess gave birth to a baby boy…” Li Minde’s voice trembled like a person just recovering from serious illness—weak and powerless. In this instant he could finally feel what despair meant. His whole body felt as if pierced by countless nails. Blood couldn’t flow out, but it scratched his skin painfully. Because of Weiyang’s concern, he had learned human warmth and cold. But now he had to tell her the truth, even if it meant losing this hard-won care, just for that tiny bit of insignificant self-respect! Because he didn’t want her deceived for life. Since she wanted to know his origins, he would tell her. But now he was beginning to regret it. He believed with her intelligence, she had already guessed who he was.

He had never known what beauty meant. Only in his impressions had many people praised his appearance, saying he was born with unusual handsomeness. Even Third Madam who adopted him had joked he would bewitch countless young ladies when he grew up. But from the moment he learned of his background, he felt deeply ashamed. How much of this unusual handsomeness came from sinful bloodlines, he didn’t know. But he knew it must have countless connections to those two people. This made him unable to face himself. Especially every time standing before Weiyang, he felt the blood in his body was so filthy.

Li Minde fell into contemplation again. Li Weiyang sensed his subtle mood and didn’t speak, just quietly watching him, her eyes showing waveless, rippleless calm.

“I’m sorry.”

Li Minde closed his eyes, but these three words actually emerged from his mouth.

Then he turned to look at her, saying gently: “I am that child.” In this instant, hearing his soft voice gave one a bone-chilling feeling.

Li Weiyang nodded without a word. She wanted to comfort him, but now saying one word seemed like something he couldn’t bear. He smiled lightly. That smile was sweet and pure as a spring. He said: “After I was born, the Princess went mad. I don’t know if she truly went mad or was driven mad by those people, but she truly didn’t remember who she was, didn’t remember she’d borne a son, never even looked at this child once. The Emperor feared she would harm herself and guarded her day and night. But no matter how he protected her, there were moments of negligence. One day they found her floating up from the lotus pond, on the water’s surface, dead in a very strange manner… The Emperor completely lost control. He consecutively killed many people. He suspected everyone around him, feeling they had killed the Princess. But no matter how many he killed, the Princess couldn’t come back to life. He grew increasingly suspicious, feeling very unsafe around himself. Moreover, he wanted to give him a legitimate identity. So he ordered people to hand this child to a loyal subject, commanding him to take the child to a distant village and dispatching many protectors, planning to bring him back after he grew up. When they reached a village called Duyi, this subject stayed with the child. They lived in this place for only four years. Finally this subject was killed. Of those protectors, all died except one who escaped. Not only that—all the four-year-old children in this village were slaughtered overnight. Everyone, including the Emperor, thought this child had already died.”

Li Weiyang said: “But you didn’t die. Moreover, you came to Dali. From the moment I saw that gray-clad man, I began to suspect your identity. That shouldn’t have been their first time looking for you, right? They had already found you before, hadn’t they? They wanted you to go with them, return to Yuexi, but you refused. Why?”

Li Minde said: “If I said it was because I didn’t want to leave you, would you believe me?”

Li Weiyang laughed lightly: “I believe… At first I thought you were deliberately hiding it from me, but now I’ve changed my view—you’re an absolute fool! Do you think saying this will make me soften?”

Li Minde said: “I never thought of making you soften.”

Indeed so. He had always concealed this background not to gain sympathy, but because he himself couldn’t face it.

Li Weiyang said: “Do you care very much? Care about your own background?”

Immediately, Li Minde’s eyes became dim and lifeless: “No one in this world has such an extraordinary background. Though I know they were both without fault, they were abnormal, and this feeling was also abnormal! I equally hate them—why did they give birth to an equally abnormal me…”

Li Weiyang said: “Others may say such things, but you alone cannot, because they are your parents.”

Li Minde raised his head, looking at Li Weiyang. She smiled: “I once deeply resented my mother. I felt she was both incompetent and weak. Since she couldn’t protect her own daughter, why give birth to me to suffer? But later I discovered parents cannot be chosen. Though she couldn’t even protect herself, she used her greatest strength to protect me. What did I have to complain about? You’re the same.”

Li Minde stared at her blankly: “You don’t hate me? You clearly know what I am—” a monster…

Li Weiyang smiled: “No one will open their own scars for others to see. Moreover, no one wants their reputation stained. I also have many private matters. Everyone in this world does. They habitually hide them, so no one can see. You’re just like us—an ordinary person. Why would I hate you? Aren’t you living well now? So even the saddest past can be cast behind you.”

Li Minde’s expression first showed shock, then wild joy. She actually didn’t detest him. This made him feel as if he’d suddenly returned from a parched desert to spring’s revival… He gently rested his head on Li Weiyang’s knee, saying softly: “Thank you…” for not detesting me, not spurning me because of this…

But very quickly, this leaping-to-wild-joy mood was completely extinguished by Li Weiyang’s words: “However, when Third Madam adopted you, you were about one year old. But you also said that child stayed in the village until age four… So exactly how old are you? I remember once hearing a traveling merchant say that Yuexi’s Emperor only had one princess sister, and moreover, she had already been dead fifteen years. So are you certain you’re truly her son…” Li Weiyang’s expression became very strange. If this rumor was true, then Li Minde’s actual age wasn’t what she had previously believed? Her mind seemed somewhat confused.

Li Minde’s face turned completely red. He stammered for a long time: “I asked them this question. They said precisely because of this, they spent a very long time finding me. The reason those people missed me back then was also because they killed all the four-year-old children…”

Li Weiyang raised her eyebrows: “So you’re saying you took some miracle elixir that made you stop growing for a period?”

Li Minde froze: “Where in this world is such medicine? This is natural… I don’t know why. Perhaps because those two people’s bloodlines were too close, so I’m fundamentally abnormal, aren’t I?” His expression showed a trace of tension. Was it because his birth parents conceived him that he became abnormal? His growth was naturally much slower than others. Those people in the village killed all the four-year-olds, but at that time he looked only about one year old… So he escaped disaster. Even before living in Dali, he couldn’t even call “mother.”

Li Weiyang felt this very strange. Perhaps heaven had already decided Minde’s fate, letting him escape disaster. Otherwise he would have long died at those people’s hands…

“So you’re not actually a child at all?” Li Weiyang’s face slowly darkened.

Li Minde hadn’t expected the discussion would end up on this question. He said quietly: “About the same age as you…”

“How much is ‘about the same’!” Li Weiyang unexpectedly persisted.

“Older… by a month? At most… two months!” Li Minde himself didn’t know his detailed birth date. The birthday he’d previously mentioned was the day Third Madam adopted him.

Li Weiyang instantly exploded. Just as she was about to demand how someone this old could still pretend innocent, pretend cute, pretend pure, pretend young, constantly running to her room as if entering his own territory, and even several times when she changed outer garments he didn’t avoid… This… this… how shameless! Unfortunately, the carriage suddenly stopped. Li Minde quickly jumped off the carriage and said rapidly: “We’re here!”

Reaching the palace gates, Li Weiyang secretly glared at Li Minde. He turned his face away, pretending not to see. In Li Weiyang’s heart, she breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he no longer obsessed over his background, that was good. The rest didn’t need much thought. So what if his parents were siblings? He wasn’t missing limbs or born with any deformities. Well, though he grew slower than ordinary people in early childhood, seemingly unable to speak even before age four… But he was still born more beautiful than anyone else, wasn’t he? This was worth being proud of. Mm, Li Weiyang thought this way and quickly walked over to meet Sun Yanjun’s smiling face: “I just put the book you wanted in the carriage. Have your maid fetch it later.”

Sun Yanjun smiled: “Good, good, good. By the way, didn’t your elder sister have an allergic reaction on her face? How did it heal so quickly?”

Li Weiyang looked in the direction she pointed. Li Changle stood beside Jiang Yuelan. In her elaborate dress she appeared even more pitiable and lovely. Her dress rustled as she moved. The jade ornaments at her waist occasionally collided, crisp sounds rippling in the wind, adding several indescribable beautiful qualities. Everyone couldn’t help holding their breath, fearing a large breath would blow away this beauty with skin like ice and bones like jade.

But Sun Yanjun frowned, whispering: “But I don’t know why—I always feel there’s a strange smell about her.”

Li Minde, who had just walked over, said lightly: “It’s a rotting smell.”

“Yes, yes, yes! Like rotting bones! What happened to her? Where did she get that powder? The smell is truly unbearable—I don’t even dare approach her!” Sun Yanjun said exaggeratedly.

“Unpleasant smell?” Li Weiyang was puzzled. She walked forward two steps. Just reaching the downwind position, she smelled from Li Changle’s direction a dizzying strong cosmetic powder scent. Beneath this powder smell was something unmistakably like rotting, absolutely impossible to conceal. That smell was extremely difficult to describe, completely unimaginable. Though it wasn’t as exaggerated as Sun Yanjun described—to the point of not daring to approach—it was indeed something one could smell just by getting close to her.

What was going on?

Li Weiyang couldn’t help being shocked. Shocked not just her but also Li Minde. She heard Li Minde say: “Her face healed so quickly! I wonder what kind of miracle medicine has such efficacy.”

Sun Yanjun instinctively looked at his face following Li Minde’s words. She froze for a moment, immediately blushed, and quietly tugged Li Weiyang’s sleeve, seeming to want to say something.

Li Minde smiled slightly and said to Weiyang: “I’ll go over first.” Li Xiaoran was giving him attention, so he had to go greet him.

Li Weiyang nodded. As soon as he left, Sun Yanjun smiled: “Look at this Third Young Master of yours—calling him the foremost handsome man wouldn’t be excessive.”

Li Weiyang paused: “Really?” Being with him every day, she hadn’t noticed how beautiful he was. Seeing this, his destructive power was apparently quite significant. Even the usually spirited Sun Yanjun had blushed.

Jiang Nan finally shook off his pursuers and charged straight into the palace gates. He dismounted, tossed his riding crop to someone, and from afar saw Li Weiyang at the palace entrance—extraordinarily dazzling among the crowd. Her skin was white as snow. An elegant oval face paired with those eyes—black and white clearly defined, deep as ancient wells—immediately made him feel all the young ladies around lost their color. How strange—why did such a vicious young lady have such heart-stirring eyes? He had just wanted to intercept her beforehand to teach her a lesson, because after tonight’s banquet, he felt there wouldn’t be such an opportunity. Who knew he’d be made a disgrace by a group of suddenly appearing black-clad guards, even losing ten trusted subordinates. Simply unbelievable! Thinking while unconsciously walking closer, before reaching Li Weiyang, he saw someone blocking his way—Li Changle.

Fourth Jiang was shocked. He had personally seen Li Changle’s face, but her current appearance had already restored her former beauty. Yet Jiang Tian had clearly said she absolutely couldn’t recover fully. What was going on?! Too shocking!

Li Changle said loudly: “Cousin Nan, long time no see.” Taking advantage of no one noticing, she lowered her voice: “What about what you promised me?”

Jiang Nan instinctively glanced at Li Weiyang, came to his senses, and said: “Everything has been arranged.” Originally he had planned to walk toward that direction, but his steps had already stopped. At this moment, Seventh Prince Tuoba Yu had already walked to Li Weiyang’s side with a smile, speaking to her with a smile. That expression looked exactly like someone fallen in love. Fourth Jiang sneered coldly, suddenly aware of a chilling gaze. He lowered his head—it came from Li Changle. He couldn’t help frowning: “Alright, don’t worry. I won’t disappoint you!” If Li Weiyang truly fell, what benefits could he gain from it? His mind rapidly calculated.

“Weiyang, are you listening to me?” Seventh Prince Tuoba Yu said gently.

Sun Yanjun almost couldn’t believe her eyes. This person speaking gently with Li Weiyang was Tuoba Yu? Was it Tuoba Yu? Was it really Tuoba Yu?! She felt she was having serious auditory hallucinations… The usually aloof Tuoba Yu who didn’t regard women—actually speaking so amiably with Li Weiyang. Not only that—just now he had even greeted her standing beside Weiyang. Before he would never even glance… Clearly they had never met before, yet now because Li Weiyang was friends with her, he showed such warmth… Sun Yanjun felt mentally disturbed.

Li Weiyang glanced at Tuoba Yu: “I’m listening.”

Tuoba Yu looked at where her gaze lingered. Following her eyes, that was the great hall where divination was conducted. He knew Yin Tianzhao used his celestial disc there every day, employing divination, astrology, even various inconceivable methods to perform prophecies.

Now the sky had darkened. From the inner palace gate here, one could only see the hall’s lamplight faintly flickering. Yet Li Weiyang clearly saw the hall isolated from the darkness with a distinctly different brilliance. Inside seemed to be some invisible force entangling and struggling. Tonight was destined to be a thrilling night…