After two days without sleep or rest, Cui Xun finally managed to find Xuancheng’s whereabouts.

As it turned out, Xuancheng, a Daoist priest, had shaved his head and hidden in a Buddhist monastery. This gave the military officers from the Investigation Department quite a difficult search. After capturing him and bringing him back to the Investigation Department, they tortured and interrogated him, but Xuancheng proved stubborn. For three consecutive days, he refused to utter a single word.

Liu Jiu, having exhausted all methods, asked Cui Xun for further instructions. Cui Xun was examining a piece of red brocade with a pattern of linked pearls and flower clusters on his desk. The red brocade was as resplendent as clouds at sunrise, further accentuating his wrists, which were as white as cold jade. Without even looking up, Cui Xun asked, “What was Xuancheng’s expression when you captured him?”

“He seemed somewhat surprised, but not excessively so. Perhaps he knew we would come, but didn’t expect us to arrive so quickly.”

“If he knew you were coming and was truly loyal to his master, he should have taken his own life beforehand to prevent secrets from being revealed. Since he wasn’t willing to commit suicide, he won’t remain tight-lipped forever. Continue the torture until he confesses the truth.”

Liu Jiu responded with a respectful “Yes, sir” and departed to carry out his orders. After he left, Li Ying entered from outside. As soon as she came in, she noticed the linked pearl brocade on the desk. The fabric seemed somehow familiar…

On Cui Xun’s desk also lay the voodoo doll that Jiang Liang had given to Li Ying before his death. The palace garment worn by the wooden doll had a pattern identical to that of the brocade.

Seeing her enter, Cui Xun picked up the fiery red brocade and handed it to Li Ying. “Look at this carefully.”

Li Ying held the brocade, examining the pattern. “This looks like the brocade that Father bestowed upon me in the nineteenth year of Taichang.”

Cui Xun nodded. “This brocade was a tribute from the Caiyifang workshop in Yangzhou. They only presented it once, in the nineteenth year of Taichang, and only offered one bolt of it. Afterward, the two brothers who owned Caiyifang fell apart due to inheritance disputes. The embroiderers scattered, and they could never again produce such cloud-like, radiant brocade.”

Li Ying asked, “Are you suggesting that the clothes on this wooden doll and the brocade Father gave me are from the same fabric?”

Cui Xun neither confirmed nor denied this. “The brocade in your hands was found during a search of Shen Que’s residence.”

“Shen Que’s residence?” Li Ying murmured. “Could this voodoo doll be connected to Shen Que?”

“This brocade is from thirty-one years ago,” Cui Xun reminded Li Ying. “Do you remember if you ever gave this brocade to anyone?”

Li Ying furrowed her brow, seemingly hearing the voice of a dignified young woman smiling gently in her memory: “Mingyuezhu, this brocade is as red as fire, so vibrant and eye-catching, truly beautiful.”

She had responded with a graceful smile, “Does Sister Rong like it?”

“How could anyone not like something so beautiful?”

“Since Sister Rong likes it, I’ll gift this bolt of brocade to you.”

“How could I accept? This was bestowed upon you by His Majesty.”

“Since it was given to me, it’s mine to give. I certainly have the right to present it to Sister Rong. Besides, Aunt has made so many pairs of shoes for me; giving this brocade to Sister Rong is only proper.”

Li Ying bit her lip slightly, then said to Cui Xun, “I gave this brocade to my cousin, Shen Rong.”

Cui Xun picked up the voodoo doll from the desk. The palace garment on the doll had faded with time, looking old and mottled, in stark contrast to the well-preserved cloud-like brocade in Li Ying’s hands. Cui Xun said, “This doll was likely not made recently, but thirty years ago.”

Made thirty years ago? Thirty years ago, this brocade was in Shen Rong’s possession. Li Ying was startled. “Are you suggesting that this doll is connected to my cousin?”

Cui Xun neither confirmed nor denied, only saying, “Perhaps your aunt and cousin’s deaths weren’t entirely due to your cousin’s intention to enter the palace and compete for favor. There might be another reason.”

“Another… reason?”

Cui Xun nodded. “Once Xuancheng confesses, everything will become clear.”

But it would still take some time for Xuancheng to confess.

Li Ying opened her palm, revealing a small incense pill. It turned out that she had been absent today because she went to make this incense pill.

Li Ying said, “Now that you’ve found Xuancheng and have some clues about the voodoo doll, surely you can rest now.”

Cui Xun was slightly taken aback, then shook his head. “I can’t sleep.”

“I know you can’t sleep, but you’ve barely closed your eyes for the past five days.” Li Ying looked at his pale, haggard face with knitted brows. “I’m afraid that before anything happens to Shen Que, something will happen to you first.”

She was genuinely concerned about him, her clear eyes filled with worry and anxiety. She continued, “This incense pill is made from calming herbs. When burned, it will help you sleep.”

After a pause, she said, “Cui Xun, I want you to rest.”

Cui Xun looked at the incense pill in her palm and finally nodded slightly.

Li Ying smiled faintly. She lit the incense pill over a candle and placed it in a brass filigree crane-shaped incense burner in the room. A wisp of fragrant smoke curled up from the crane’s mouth, and a subtle aroma gradually filled the room. Cui Xun lay down on the couch, feeling his exhausted mind slowly calm in the gentle fragrance. Drowsiness finally came; his eyelids grew heavy, and he closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

After Cui Xun fell asleep, Li Ying came to sit cross-legged by the huanghuali wood-carved low couch. She watched him in his sleep; he didn’t seem very peaceful, his brows furrowed as if countless matters remained unresolved. Li Ying sighed softly. She reached out her hand, wanting to smooth his furrowed brow, but her hand hovered in midair before finally withdrawing.

She sat quietly by the couch, watching Cui Xun. These past few days of excessive fatigue had made his face increasingly pale, his lips bloodless, his entire being as thin and fragile as a solitary crane. In truth, he was only twenty-three years old. Young men of his age from noble families were still enjoying their youth, riding silver-saddled white horses in spring winds and competing for dancers’ silk ribbons at festivities. Yet he seemed never to have experienced a single day of happiness. Ah’man once said that fifty thousand Imperial Guards had died at Luoyan Ridge. Why had he survived? But Li Ying felt that he had also died at Luoyan Ridge—his ideals, his pride, his self-respect, all buried alongside those fifty thousand Imperial Guards at Luoyan Ridge.

Sometimes, those who survive suffer a fate worse than death.

Cui Xun seemed disturbed by nightmares. With eyes tightly shut and brows increasingly furrowed, his eyelashes, as long and black as crow feathers, trembled slightly. His fingers also trembled, as if desperately trying to grasp something. At this rate, he would soon awaken. After a moment’s hesitation, Li Ying extended her hand and placed it in his palm.

His palm was as cold as snow, even colder than the hands of Li Ying, who was a ghost. The room had all its doors and windows closed and a fire burning in the stove. Li Ying was startled—no wonder he wore such a heavy crane-patterned robe even in this weather. It seemed the cold had penetrated deep into his marrow; he would feel bitterly cold even in the height of summer. His body had deteriorated to such a state, yet he had never given up on clearing the names of the Imperial Guards. Moreover, he had single-handedly taken on the responsibility of supporting the fifty thousand families of the fallen Imperial Guards. This path was full of thorns, and with his illness-ridden body, he walked it alone.

Li Ying couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart.

She placed her palm in Cui Xun’s hand. In his nightmare, Cui Xun clutched her hand tightly as if grasping at a lifeline, refusing to let go. Li Ying did not struggle. Looking at his snow-white face, she softly said, “Cui Xun, I’m here.”

It was as if Cui Xun heard these words. He gradually calmed down, his furrowed brows slowly smoothing. The painful nightmare seemed to finally leave him, his breathing became somewhat steady, and he fell back into peaceful sleep. However, his hand still gripped Li Ying’s, never letting go.

Cui Xun slept from the rising of the morning sun until dusk fell.

He had slept for nearly an entire day. Since the battle at Luoyan Ridge six years ago, he had never slept so peacefully. When he awoke, even he was somewhat surprised at himself.

He turned his head slightly and indeed saw the delicate figure slumped asleep by his couch.

His palm still tightly held her hand. Her hand was warm as heated jade, and even the bone-deep chill in his body had somewhat receded. Cui Xun did not release her hand but turned his head to look at her. As she slept, she appeared serene and beautiful, her eyelashes like delicate fans lightly covering her eyelids, her features elegant and gentle. Cui Xun gazed at her steadily until a knock at the door made him furrow his brow. He released her hand, rose, and went to open the door.

Outside stood Liu Jiu, who exclaimed excitedly, “Young Official, Xuancheng has confessed!”

But to Liu Jiu’s surprise, upon hearing this news, Cui Xun did not immediately follow him to the prison cell. Instead, he said he would go later and hurriedly sent Liu Jiu away.

After dismissing Liu Jiu, Cui Xun turned, entered the room, and gently lifted Li Ying, who was slumped by the couch. He placed her on the couch, tucked in the corners of her blanket, and then slowly walked out of the room, closing the wooden door behind him as he headed toward the prison.