A few days later, the military officers of the Investigation Department reported that they had discovered Jin Ni’s traces in the Furong Garden.

Cui Xun was astonished. Furong Garden was an imperial restricted area—how could Jin Ni be there? On second thought, perhaps because Jin Ni had once been a Captain of the Imperial Cavalry, he knew the palace’s secret passages like the back of his hand. The most dangerous place could be the safest place, which might explain why he was hiding in the Furong Garden.

No wonder the Investigation Department and the Dali Temple had thoroughly searched almost the entire Chang’an city without spotting a single trace of him. This Jin Ni was truly cunning.

However, when Cui Xun led the Investigation Department to capture Jin Ni, the night owls must have detected their approach, allowing Jin Ni to escape beforehand. Cui Xun came up empty-handed.

When Li Ying heard about this, she asked Cui Xun: “Where in the Furong Garden was Jin Ni hiding?”

“In an abandoned gardener’s quarters, a place rarely visited.”

Li Ying pondered this. Furong Garden was in the southern part of Chang’an, while Daming Palace was in the northern part. The two places were not adjacent. So, although Furong Garden was part of the imperial gardens, even the emperor and his consorts seldom visited. Indeed, it was an ideal hiding place.

It had been about half a month since Jin Ni fled to Chang’an. During this half month, Jin Ni had been living in the gardener’s quarters in Furong Garden. Might he have left behind some clues?

When Li Ying shared her conjecture with Cui Xun, he nodded: “I also intend to visit the gardener’s quarters again to investigate thoroughly.”

“Didn’t you discover anything on the day you tried to capture Jin Ni?”

Cui Xun shook his head and said, “There were some suspicious matters, but with so many people present, it wasn’t convenient to verify them.”

As for what he suspected, he didn’t tell Li Ying. He also hoped that his suspicions were unfounded.

The nighttime Furong Garden was completely tranquil. Though the lotus season had not yet arrived, peach blossoms and cornelian flowers were blooming throughout the garden. The crescent moon and the brilliant flowers reflected in the azure lake created a captivating scene. Pavilions and towers were nestled among green trees and red flowers, exquisite. In the center of the lake bloomed a twin lotus. It’s worth noting that lotuses usually bloom in summer, but this twin lotus had bloomed early. The Imperial Astronomer had reported it as an auspicious sign from heaven, indicating a virtuous emperor and loyal ministers. His Majesty was greatly pleased and brought his civil and military officials to admire this twin lotus. Only Cui Xun had claimed illness and did not attend.

All his misfortunes in the Turkic lands stemmed from the three words “Lotus Flower Youth.” How could he not despise lotuses?

So when Cui Xun and Li Ying passed by the lake, he quickened his pace, unwilling to even glance at the lotus. Li Ying turned her head to look at the brilliant twin lotus in the lake and sighed silently in her heart.

The two arrived at the gardener’s quarters, located in an inconspicuous corner of Furong Garden. According to the palace staff, no one had lived there for twenty or thirty years. Previously, a flower maid had resided there, but she was discovered by the then-Captain of the Imperial Cavalry, Jin Ni, to be secretly communicating with an external official. She died, unfortunately, under cruel torture. Afterward, rumors circulated that the gardener’s quarters were haunted, and no one dared to go there anymore.

Cui Xun said, “That flower maid must have died unjustly. After the Taichang Blood Incident, the late emperor executed many nobles. Jin Ni, as Captain of the Imperial Cavalry and a trusted confidant of the late emperor, naturally had to lead the charge. His target was likely not this flower maid but that external official. The flower maid was just unlucky to be caught up in it.”

Li Ying was disturbed to hear this: “Isn’t that flower maid extremely pitiful?”

Cui Xun remained neutral: “When the Taichang New Policies were first implemented, progress was incredibly difficult. The aristocratic families were all extremely resistant to the new policies. Even when the edicts left Chang’an and reached various prefectures, they were only superficially obeyed while being covertly resisted. At the New Year’s Eve banquet in the twentieth year of Taichang, half the officials made excuses not to attend, showing their dissatisfaction. Although the late emperor was furious, he couldn’t immediately act against this situation.”

At this point, Li Ying roughly guessed what happened next. Indeed, Cui Xun continued, “After the princess fell into the water and the Taichang Blood Incident occurred, tens of thousands died in Chang’an. Only then did the aristocratic families realize that the emperor before them was no longer the puppet who had ascended the throne as a youth and was constrained by Empress Dowager Xue, but an authoritarian emperor with absolute power. The aristocratic families were terrified into silence. From then on, the new policies were smoothly implemented without further obstacles.”

Li Ying’s expression grew increasingly solemn. Cui Xun continued slowly: “This flower maid was just one among the tens of thousands who died.”

Li Ying felt somewhat lost. Although she knew that many died in the Taichang Blood Incident, it was only when she saw the dilapidated gardener’s quarters that she gained a deeper understanding of the phrase “many died.” She opened her mouth and suddenly said, “Cui Xun, I caused their deaths.”

Cui Xun said, “No, it was the late emperor.”

“But without me, my father wouldn’t have killed them.” Li Ying smiled bitterly: “Cui Xun, will I go to hell?”

Cui Xun simply said, “This matter has nothing to do with the princess. If the princess could have chosen, she certainly wouldn’t have wanted this to happen.”

His words gradually calmed Li Ying’s emotions. The confusion in her eyes slowly faded. After a long while, she said, “You’re right. If I could have chosen, I wouldn’t have wanted this to happen either.”

She entered the gardener’s quarters, and before her eyes seemed to appear the figure of that flower maid. She murmured: “Cui Xun, what kind of person do you think my father was?”

Cui Xun pressed his lips together and said: “Killing one to save many—he was a qualified emperor.”

Though taking life is a sin, killing one to save ten thousand is meritorious. So, the Taichang Emperor was not a good person, but he was a qualified emperor.

In the gardener’s quarters, traces of someone’s recent habitation were still visible, presumably left by Jin Ni. Li Ying couldn’t help saying, “This flower maid was harmed by Jin Ni, yet he still dared to live here.”

Cui Xun said, “Jin Ni must have thought that if the living couldn’t harm him, how could the dead?”

Li Ying thought of herself, a soul that indeed couldn’t harm those in the mortal realm—she couldn’t even manifest a physical form. She smiled bitterly: “He’s right about that.”

Seeing her somewhat gloomy expression, Cui Xun changed the subject and began to squat down to examine the surroundings of the gardener’s quarters. Li Ying also followed his example, carefully searching along the walls. Suddenly, Li Ying discovered a loose brick in the corner of the wall. She pulled out the brick and indeed found something inside.

It was a paper travel permit used for passing checkpoints. With this permit, one could travel unhindered to any place in the Great Zhou.

Li Ying handed the paper permit to Cui Xun, and they opened it to find that the name on the permit wasn’t Jin Ni but an unfamiliar name. Li Ying couldn’t help asking: “Is this permit fake?”

Cui Xun looked at the official seal of the Department of State Affairs on it and shook his head: “No, it’s genuine.”

“But it doesn’t have Jin Ni’s name on it. Did he steal it?”

“Not necessarily.” Cui Xun folded the paper permit and placed it in his sleeve. He said, “We’ll know once we investigate.”

Under the moonlight with scattered stars, Cui Xun and Li Ying walked beneath the weeping willows by the lake. In the center of the lake was the brilliantly colored twin lotus. Li Ying glanced at the twin lotus and then looked sideways at Cui Xun. His brows were slightly furrowed, his face somewhat pale. She didn’t know if he was still thinking about the paper travel permit or if the twin lotus in the lake had reminded him of some memories he’d rather not recall.

The latter possibility was likely greater.

Li Ying’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. The two years in the Turkic lands had caused Cui Xun such deep humiliation that he was unwilling to touch anything even slightly related to the Turks. She could understand his feelings. After all, after entering Ashina Jia’s memories, just witnessing it was unbearable for her, let alone for Cui Xun, who had experienced it firsthand.

Her fingers suddenly raised a green ghostly fire. The ghostly fire floated to the center of the lake, turning into a thin mist that shrouded the twin lotus.

Cui Xun halted his steps. He looked at the white mist in the center of the lake, then turned his gaze to Li Ying’s face. Li Ying pressed her lips together and said softly: “If you don’t want to see it, then don’t look.”

A trace of emotion rippled through Cui Xun’s eyes, cold as distant stars. He silently nodded and continued to walk side by side with Li Ying.

After a few steps, Li Ying suddenly said: “Cui Xun, some things are not your fault. Those who should feel ashamed are others.”

Moonlight like water fell upon Cui Xun’s lowered, fluttering eyelashes. Cui Xun had never been willing to mention what happened in the Turkic lands to anyone. Even with Li Ying, he had never said a word. But these matters, hidden in his heart for too long, were like a taut, thin silk thread. He didn’t know when the thread would break. Sometimes, he felt exhausted and weary. His fingers gripped until they turned white. Finally, he tried with difficulty to open up: “If, without Jin Ni’s three words ‘Lotus Flower Youth,’ perhaps none of this would have happened.”

“Those who inflict cruelty will always find excuses for their cruelty,” Li Ying said. “Cui Xun, don’t attribute this matter to your appearance. Shouldn’t it truly be attributed to Ashina Wuduo’s pathological possessiveness?”

Though her voice was soft, it was exceptionally clear: “You always think that without the three words ‘Lotus Flower Youth,’ you wouldn’t have encountered those humiliations. But, if there had been no Ashina Wuduo, you wouldn’t have encountered those humiliations. What does this have to do with you at all?”

Li Ying’s words were like enlightenment pouring down. Cui Xun couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. Li Ying continued: “If the Turkic princess you encountered that day had been Ashina Jia, even with the three words ‘Lotus Flower Youth,’ she wouldn’t have treated you like this. Everything was Ashina Wuduo’s fault, with absolutely nothing to do with you. Why should the abuser be complacent, feeling no guilt whatsoever, while the victim suffers immensely?”

Cui Xun listened, stunned. His eyes were misty with emotion. He opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly he saw a figure in red walking slowly toward him.

It was Ashina Wuduo.

Ashina Wuduo still maintained her arrogant demeanor. When she saw him, she still had that complacent expression. She smiled and said, “I came to the Furong Garden tonight to admire the lotus. I didn’t expect to meet you. What a coincidence.”

Li Ying saw that Cui Xun’s face had grown paler. He disliked seeing Ashina Wuduo because it reminded him of his most shameful memories. However, Ashina Wuduo greatly enjoyed the feeling of tormenting him. She said: “The other day, His Majesty taught me a poem. There was a line saying, ‘The lotus cannot compare to a beauty’s makeup.’ I immediately thought of you.”

She smiled somewhat maliciously: “In your Central Plains, ‘beauty’ can only describe women, but I think it’s quite fitting to describe you.”

She then looked at the twin lotus covered by the white mist and said: “What a pity. The mist has risen, and we can’t see the twin lotus. Otherwise, with a lotus and a lotus slave, that would truly be a beautiful scene with a beautiful person.”

She knew that the three words “lotus slave” were Cui Xun’s sore point, so every time she saw him, she deliberately poked at his pain. Li Ying could no longer bear to watch. She ignited ghostly fire in her hand, not caring if she would suffer backlash, just wanting to make Ashina Wuduo shut up forever. She truly wanted to kill her. But Cui Xun looked at her and shook his head.

Li Ying was stunned. Cui Xun then turned to Ashina Wuduo, his tone calm: “Ashina Wuduo, be content with being Consort Hui. Don’t come to provoke me anymore.”

Ashina Wuduo was taken aback. For these three years, whenever she encountered Cui Xun, knowing he couldn’t kill her and not wanting her to mention those past events, he had always avoided her, eager to get away immediately. When had he ever spoken back like this? Cui Xun continued: “If you provoke me too much, I wouldn’t mind using on you all the methods you used on me.”

His tone was calm and indifferent, but somehow it made Ashina Wuduo feel chilled to the bone. Cui Xun mocked: “A whip striking someone else’s body certainly feels satisfying, but what about when it strikes your own?”

Ashina Wuduo was dumbfounded. For a moment, she forgot what to say. Cui Xun gave a light laugh and, without bowing, looked at her with an arrogant expression. Ashina Wuduo bit her lip and, in a fit of anger, turned and fled.