After listening to Bao Jia’s story, Jiang Zhiyi remained silent for a long while.

If Bao Jia had truly gone into exile with the Li family, it would have been tantamount to openly severing ties with the royal family. Even if she regretted it later, she could never return to being a princess. For Military Physician Li, he was probably concerned that she might regret it and have no way back, yet also worried that she might truly accompany him without regrets, enduring thousands of miles of hardship and over a thousand days of unpredictable dangers to their lives.

In truth, if Bao Jia had actually believed Military Physician Li’s lie, with time she might indeed have forgotten him. But Li underestimated her trust and undervalued her feelings.

Jiang Zhiyi vaguely remembered that her Elder Sister had established her residence outside the palace in the same year Military Physician Li left, and rarely associated with the palace thereafter. She began keeping male companions in the fourth year after his departure.

The exile term was three years. Even after being rejected by Military Physician Li, Bao Jia returned to Chang’an but still waited for him for three years.

Yet in the fourth year, when his sentence was complete, Military Physician Li joined the Xuance Army and remained at the border.

Perhaps what hurt Elder Sister most wasn’t Military Physician Li’s lie at that time—when the listener doesn’t believe, a lie ceases to be a lie. What truly broke her heart was that in the fourth year, when Li Dafeng gained his freedom, he still didn’t return.

Elder Sister said, “Who says the one left behind is necessarily abandoned? It wasn’t him abandoning me, but me abandoning him.” So from that year on, Elder Sister lived a life of pleasure and entertainment, becoming the most romantic princess of the Great Ye.

All of the male companions in the Princess’s residence bore some resemblance to Military Physician Li. Perhaps Elder Sister wanted to prove that what she treasured was merely Li Dafeng’s handsome appearance. While no two identical souls exist in the world, there are countless similar appearances—if she could like one, she could like ten.

In fact, Jiang Zhiyi noticed that her Elder Sister did seem genuinely happy with those male companions. These years hadn’t been truly bad for her. But such happiness was probably like watching spectacular fireworks—genuine joy while watching, yet when the fireworks faded, a returning tide of emptiness would drown all that happiness.

Although uncertain whether Elder Sister and Military Physician Li could reconcile after seven years, Jiang Zhiyi thought that even if reconciliation was impossible, they should have an honest conversation to resolve their emotional knots.

When she spoke again, Jiang Zhiyi said, “Elder Sister, I want to go to the military camp to find Brother A-Ce.”

“Didn’t you say you’d wait for him to come pick you up after releasing the lanterns?”

“I’ve changed my mind. It’s not interesting for just two people to stay up for New Year’s Eve. I want to see how they celebrate the New Year in the military camp.”

“All right, I’ll send a carriage to take you.”

“No,” Jiang Zhiyi linked her arm with Bao Jia’s, “Elder Sister, come with me.”

Bao Jia eyed her suspiciously: “What are you planning?”

“I just thought—” Jiang Zhiyi blinked, “I can’t go to the military camp empty-handed. I should bring some late-night snacks to reward the soldiers. Elder Sister owns such a large restaurant—could you help arrange some delicious food and support me?”

Half an hour later, in the main tent of the Xuance military camp outside the city.

The long table was filled with delicacies. Jiang Zhiyi and Bao Jia sat on one side, while Yuan Ce and Li Dafeng sat on the other. In the center, a pot of broth bubbled and boiled, with rising steam filling the tent with a delicious aroma of home cooking.

Since entering the tent, except for each commenting once on whether Yuan Ce ate beef, Bao Jia and Li Dafeng hadn’t spoken again. Only Jiang Zhiyi worked hard to enliven the atmosphere, asking Yuan Ce to serve her this and that.

Eventually exhausted from her efforts, Jiang Zhiyi gave up, realizing these two wouldn’t speak openly in front of others. After the meal, she pulled Yuan Ce out for a walk to digest, deliberately leaving the tent to Bao Jia and Li Dafeng alone.

In the tent, Bao Jia, with a slightly flushed face from drinking, lazily rested her head on her hand at the long table, her gaze floating lightly toward the person opposite her.

After three years of exile and four years in the army, he hadn’t become the unkempt wretch as predicted. With immaculate white clothes and those calm, unperturbed eyes, he looked the same as before.

For a moment, she felt disoriented, as if they were still seven years in the past.

“Have you been well, Li—” Bao Jia paused here, then after a moment’s thought asked, “How should I address you?”

Li Dafeng nodded: “However, the Princess prefers.”

“Then I’ll call you Master Li.” Bao Jia smiled, “That’s what I call all the guests in my residence.”

Li Dafeng looked back at her.

“Master Li has stayed at the border for so many years. Is there anything you find difficult to adjust to in the capital?”

“Thank you for your concern, Princess. This humble one is doing well here.”

“Since everything is fine, do you intend to stay in the capital long-term?”

“Everyone in the Xuance Army follows the Young General’s arrangements.”

Bao Jia lightly tapped the table with her fingertip: “Then if I asked your Young General for you, would he let you go?”

Li Dafeng raised his eyes.

Bao Jia sighed: “It’s been a long time since my residence welcomed a newcomer. I’ve grown tired of the old faces. If Master Li is willing, why not come and add some freshness?”

“Rest assured, if you came to my place, you would certainly be the most favored one.”

Bao Jia stared at Li Dafeng’s face, as if searching for traces of emotion in his calm features: “You don’t believe me? You can ask around my residence. Everyone was once new, and when they first arrived, they were all the most distinguished ones.”

At this point, Bao Jia wore an expression of having spoken carelessly: “Oh, when a new person arrives, the old ones inevitably fall from favor. But don’t worry, I will prepare good arrangements for everyone.”

Bao Jia pointed to the dishes from Wind Gently Comes on the table: “Look, this restaurant called ‘Wind Gently Comes’ is the welcome gift I’ve prepared for you. As soon as you agree to come to my residence, it will be transferred to your name.”

Li Dafeng quietly looked at her without speaking.

“Don’t worry, it’s all clean business. In my residence, there’s someone called Jin Yue—I prepared a library called ‘Jiang Jin Yue’ for him. Then there’s ‘Waterside Tower,’ ‘Ten Thousand Clouds Pavilion,’ and so on. Each guest has something under their name, so feel free to accept. I don’t permit vows like mountains and seas—talk of undying love sounds false as soon as it’s spoken. Who can live until the seas dry up and rocks crumble, right? But money can be used even when the seas dry up and the rocks crumble. These assets can ensure that even if you lose my favor, you can still enjoy wealth and prosperity for the rest of your life.”

“Doesn’t Master Li need someone to give him wealth and prosperity? Back then, I couldn’t provide it, and I truly apologize. Now, coinciding with your return to the capital, I thought I might make amends. Will you consider it?”

After a long silence, Li Dafeng looked at her and said, “The Princess is drunk.”

Bao Jia laughed: “Master Li still thinks I’m fifteen years old. This little alcohol couldn’t possibly make me drunk.”

“If the Princess isn’t speaking drunken words, then I thank the Princess for her kindness, but the Princess should give this restaurant to someone else.”

Bao Jia frowned, complaining: “I’ve already named this restaurant for you. If you don’t want it, I’ll have to rename it or find someone else with ‘Wind’ in their name, which is quite troublesome.”

“I apologize for causing the Princess inconvenience.” Li Dafeng bowed his head.

Bao Jia put away her smile and fixed her gaze on the person opposite: “Master Li, do you truly not regret refusing me today?”

Without waiting for Li Dafeng to respond, she added: “Just as you don’t regret what happened back then?”

Li Dafeng looked at the teacup beside his hand, seeing his silent reflection in the tea.

Not regret, just as back then? Had he never regretted all these years? How could that be?

The year his sentence was complete, when he walked out of that tower of exiles and first heard news of her, that was when he regretted most.

That night of parting, he had only thought that if he didn’t tell that lie, even if he persuaded her to return to Chang’an, she would keep waiting for him there. He didn’t want her to waste her youth on a man with only one chance in ten of survival, so he chose to break her heart.

He had assumed heartbreak was temporary. How could there be lasting grudges between father and daughter, mother and daughter? She would eventually reconcile with her family. As heaven’s favored daughter, she would have everything she was meant to have.

But in the fourth year, on the day his sentence ended, when he heard she hadn’t married for three years and had cut off all contact with the palace for three years, he truly regretted his presumptuousness.

However, by then, there was no turning back for him.

The year the Li family was exiled to Hexi, they encountered an avalanche. Yuan Ce, who happened to be scouting the terrain nearby, saved them—

Of course, at that time, they only knew him as a scout from the Xuance Army, unaware of his true identity.

Later, they entered the tower of exile as laborers. Suddenly one day, Envoy Shen came and entrusted him and his father to save someone.

That person was Yuan Ce, critically wounded and near death during a scouting mission.

Envoy Shen commanded many military physicians, but only sought outside medical help when all his physicians were at a loss.

But why choose them, a pair of criminal father and son?

When they saw Yuan Ce’s face, they finally understood the answer.

Because it was a face that couldn’t be easily seen by outsiders. It turned out the Shen family also had a pair of twins, hiding such an earth-shattering secret all these years.

Envoy Shen knew the reason for the Li family’s conviction and believed in their physician’s compassion. Additionally, Yuan Ce had saved the Li family’s lives, making them the best choice—both capable of saving him and willing to keep the Shen family’s secret.

Envoy Shen said if they didn’t want to wade into troubled waters again, they could leave and pretend they hadn’t seen anything that day.

If not for Yuan Ce, the many members of the Li family would have perished in that avalanche. This debt of gratitude warranted repayment even at the cost of their lives. Without hesitation, the father and son used an unorthodox method, placing Yuan Ce in a cow’s belly to stop his bleeding, and spared no effort to save him.

But inevitably, they waded into waters that could once again brand them with the crime of deceiving the Emperor.

So in the fourth year, when he left that tower of exile and regretfully wanted to return to Chang’an to find her, he saw the muddy waters at his feet—

If someday the truth were exposed again, the same suffering would repeat. It wouldn’t be exile next time, but the executioner’s block.

If he became a criminal of the Great Ye as her Prince Consort, a princess caught between a criminal and the Emperor wouldn’t fare well either.

He was not entitled to regret.

Li Dafeng slowly raised his eyes and looked at Bao Jia before him: “Yes, I don’t regret it, just as I didn’t back then.”