Though the youth was quick-witted, he was ultimately in a situation where everyone around him was an enemy watching the show. Seeing those men’s hairy hands reaching toward him with obscene looks in their eyes, he cried out in terror and retreated repeatedly, but was instantly surrounded by several miners.

His eyes began showing fear and panic, like a small animal being slaughtered—Lian Yu had originally intended to leave, but his feet seemed rooted, unable to move at all. Having grown up in the palace where court intrigues were common, this wasn’t unfamiliar to him. But seeing this, his chest felt stuffy and swollen. He bent down to pick up several stones, gripped them between his fingers, and shot them out forcefully.

Several men cried out in pain, covering their arms and looking around suspiciously.

Here, Lian Yu had already stridden over and pulled the youth to his side.

The youth looked at him with tears still in his eyes, yet laughing and calling out while grabbing his arm. Those frightened eyes made Lian Yu feel very bad, and he didn’t know where this anger came from. His heart wrenched painfully as he held him, turned around, and in an instant broke the right hands of those two men who had touched him.

Both men were so shocked and pained they stood frozen in place.

The scene immediately became chaotic. The jade merchant saw this wouldn’t do and, not caring about contagion, seeing this was just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old thin youth, immediately had all supervisors and other miners come together to teach him a lesson.

Lian Yu’s lips curved in a slight smile. These people thought they could move against him? His martial arts were personally taught by National Defense General Marquis Murong Jing—power for battlefield killing, one against a hundred.

The youth didn’t know this and grabbed his hand in alarm: “Stone, thirty-six stratagems—running away is best!”

Lian Yu patted his head, lifted him onto the cave dwelling roof, then turned back down to calmly deal with the crowd before him.

Soon he had knocked all the men to the ground. Old people, women and youngsters huddled together trembling. The youth sat on the cave roof, both shocked and admiring, looking incredulous as he clapped and laughed. Under the sunlight, bamboo stones in the river glittered.

The jade merchant was greatly alarmed, kneeling and trembling: “Young master, spare my life…”

Lian Yu’s gaze darkened: “I want the best stone materials in your mine.”

…

After this incident, he told himself he’d stay to repay that youth’s kindness before returning.

He accompanied him in polishing the stone materials and watched him magically make a jade flute, carving an incredibly ugly line of poetry.

He asked who it was for. That boy thought and said he’d give it to his sister to present to her lover.

The latest version he’d heard was that he was an orphan… Lian Yu’s face tensed slightly. There was no point asking—this child never spoke a true word.

One night when he dragged him onto the cave roof to look at moonlight, he sat beside him swaying and nearly fell off the rocky cave. Lian Yu irritably reached out to hold him. That soft, tender body made his heart waver slightly, and he had an impulse to take him back to the palace.

His temperament was very like A Luo’s, but different in that A Luo knew when to advance and retreat, while this was someone who charged straight ahead recklessly.

He remembered once A Luo had fallen seriously ill, scaring him into sending all the palace’s imperial physicians to her home.

A Luo was also afraid then, but still held back tears to comfort him, saying: “If I die, I’ll be reborn in another family and come find you.”

He smiled: “By then I’ll be old and won’t match you.”

A Luo said hoarsely: “Then I’ll possess someone else’s body.”

But was he A Luo? Besides, he was a boy.

The memory was interrupted the day that child shamelessly begged him to catch a rabbit for extra food.

He caught the rabbit and carefully skinned it before returning. Outside the various cave dwellings, workers were still working energetically. The jade merchant bowed and scraped to him. He walked into their cave dwelling but found he had vanished without trace. His traveling bundle was also gone. On the ground were a few characters written messily, looking very hurried.

“Stone, take care!”

This youth had appeared suddenly before his eyes, then left without hesitation.

That night, he threw away the rabbit, got a portion of oil paper rice made by the cooks from the jade merchant, and a small jug of wine.

After eating, he also left.

Life’s gatherings and partings were indeed as that child had said—one stretch at a time, meeting fellow travelers, separating at crossroads. Before it began, it had already ended.

The qin music stopped. He led people inside.

Gu Shuangcheng sat behind the qin table. Seeing him enter, she quickly rose to pay respects. Lian Yu waved his hand: “No need. What did you want to see me about?”

Gu Shuangcheng frowned slightly, finally saying quietly: “Your Majesty, Shuangcheng has an improper request… how are Master Li’s injuries? Might Shuangcheng visit his residence to see him?”

“Oh, Li Tixing?”

Lian Yu’s lips curved slightly: “Does A Gu have friendship with him? Or is the Prime Minister close to him? Troubling you to ask?”

Gu Shuangcheng felt a chill. She had promised Li Zhaoting to help with Li Huaisu’s matter. She hadn’t directly asked Lian Yu to spare Li Huaisu precisely because she feared Lian Yu would pursue why she would know—

Everyone knew she was Quan Feitong’s unbetrothed wife, closely associated with the Prime Minister. Unexpectedly, Lian Yu had still subtly directed the question there.

Though Li Zhaoting’s request suggested Li Huaisu’s relationship with Quan and Li was probably not simple, why did Lian Yu want to kill Li Huaisu—had Lian Yu discovered Li Huaisu’s relationship with them?

Li Zhaoting hadn’t told her much, seeming not to want her involved. She admired Li Zhaoting and felt guilty toward him, but Li Zhaoting stood with Quan Feitong. Agreeing to help Li Huaisu plead was one thing, but the person in her heart was… Lian Yu. She would never do anything harmful to Lian Yu.

She gracefully bowed: “Your Majesty, Shuangcheng is not acting for the Prime Minister, but though we’ve only met a few times… Master Li’s temperament is heroic and unrestrained, which reminds Shuangcheng of Sister A Luo. So I want to see him. If it’s truly inconvenient, please have someone take good care of Master Li.”

This “take good care” was quite cleverly said. She observed his expression and saw Lian Yu’s gaze darken slightly. Finally he said: “He is my subject. As long as he’s loyal to me, I will naturally show consideration. I’ll remember your words. Don’t be sad about your sister anymore—I will take care of you.”

As he personally helped her up, Shuangcheng felt the warmth from his palm transmitted through her arm and couldn’t help trembling slightly.

Next update, we can finally see a certain Su who’s been missing for several days.