The polo match was in full swing, and the cheers of noble ladies from the sidelines were incessant. Compared to previous dynasties, the Great Zhou was more open-minded—women could ride horses, engage in commerce, and pursue education. With the Empress’s ascension to the throne, women’s status had risen further. Noble ladies born during the Yong’an era were not shy about cheering for the young men on the field.

Li Ying stood up with the other noble ladies, constantly shouting: “Seventeenth Brother, watch your left!” “Watch your right!” “Seventeenth Brother, well played!”

As the charming young lady on the sidelines cheered for her beloved, the young man on the field grew even more valiant. Time and again, he swung his mallet from the side, sending the ball straight into the goal with an elegance no one could match.

Many noble ladies from Wuzhong whispered among themselves: “Who is that young gentleman?” “He’s handsome, and he plays polo well too.” “I heard he’s the son of the Yangzhou Governor, the Seventeenth Young Master Pei.” “Is he betrothed?” “Not yet.”

Hearing this, the noble ladies’ hearts fluttered, each secretly thinking that once the polo match ended, she must find a way to make his acquaintance. But the match ended predictably with a resounding victory for Yangzhou’s official school.

When Cui Xun undisputedly received the hollow golden polo ball, he held the golden prize and experienced a strange feeling. The hollow golden polo ball, made of pure gold, was the reward given to the best performer in the match between the two schools. His receiving it was well-deserved. As his fingers gently gripped the golden ball, he recalled his previous life—during his final months, his fingers had been broken by torture, the tendons and bones completely shattered, unable even to bend. Li Ying had to feed him medicine and porridge. Even after he recovered, it was still an effort just to hold chopsticks. He could no longer write his once-beautiful semi-cursive script or weave grasshoppers. Now he finally had a pair of normally functioning hands, and with these hands he had gripped a polo mallet and won the match. How could he not find this feeling miraculous?

Suddenly, a companion called to him: “Seventeenth Brother! Let’s go back and celebrate with some wine!”

Cui Xun snapped out of his reverie and looked up at the face that resembled Cao Wu from his past life. He smiled: “Sounds good.”

In this life, Cui Xun had loving parents and friends who accompanied him. Though his temperament was still as detached as in his previous life, there was much less melancholy. His two or three good friends slung their arms around his shoulders: “Let’s go!”

Cui Xun suddenly stopped: “Wait a moment.”

His gaze fixed on Li Ying, who was surrounded by several male students. The young lady stood there gracefully, radiant as the moon. Cui Xun suddenly called out: “Mingyuezhu!”

Li Ying looked up.

“For you!” The hollow golden polo ball flew toward Li Ying, who caught it instinctively. Cui Xun said, “It’s yours now.”

Li Ying held the hollow golden ball, not knowing what to do. This prize that was given only once every three years—Cui Xun had just casually given it to her?

Surrounded by a group of young men, Cui Xun waved to Li Ying, spirited and dashing just as he had been in the Tianwei Army: “I’m leaving first.”

The golden sunlight fell upon him, like he were wearing the golden Ming-style armor. He paused, then turned back with a smile, adding: “Consider that polo ball as part of my betrothal gift.”

Li Ying was stunned for a moment. When she came to her senses, she waved the hollow golden ball and smiled brightly at Cui Xun: “That won’t do—it’s not enough.”

“I’ll add more.”

“You may.”

Under the clear sky, the young man in his narrow-sleeved moon-white robe and tall boots, and the young lady with the drop-shaped red mark on her forehead, smiled at each other. They were like a pair of exquisite jade figurines, perfectly matched.

The noble ladies from Wuzhong who had come seeking Cui Xun understood the situation—it seemed the Seventeenth Young Master Pei had already given his heart to someone. They dispersed in disappointment. Several students who had admired Li Ying, upon hearing the words “betrothal gift,” also abandoned their hopes. But when news of this incident reached Governor Pei and Magistrate Du, both fathers laughed heartily—it seemed it was time to arrange a marriage for this young couple.

Betrothal gifts, name exchange, auspicious date selection, bride price, and wedding date setting—after completing the whole elaborate process, half a year had passed, and the marriage between Cui Xun and Li Ying was finally arranged. Although Madam Du was somewhat reluctant to part with her daughter, seeing how well she and the Pei family’s seventeenth son got along, and knowing that she had watched Pei Heng grow up and could find no fault with his character or temperament, she suppressed her reluctance and agreed to the marriage. They would wait until Cui Xun completed this year’s imperial examination, and then he would return to marry Li Ying.

Cui Xun had already passed the provincial examination with the highest marks. Next would be the palace examination. He packed his luggage and set off for Chang’an with his classmates and friends. When they reached the Grand Canal, he kept looking back, unwilling to board the boat. A friend teased him: “Could it be that you can’t bear to leave Mingyuezhu, so you don’t want to get on the boat?”

Cui Xun smiled shyly: “I want to wait for her a little longer.”

As they spoke, suddenly Li Ying appeared, panting, with a lotus pouch clutched in her hand. She ran up and stuffed the pouch into Cui Xun’s arms: “This is a charm I obtained for you from Kaiyuan Temple. With this charm, you’ll surely achieve high honors.”

Cui Xun opened the pouch, but it was empty. Li Ying was also stunned: “What’s going on? I got up early to be the first to pray and received this charm. How could it be empty?”

Suddenly she realized what must have happened and stomped her foot in anger: “Some scholar who also wants to succeed must have stolen my charm! I must go back to Kaiyuan Temple and find that thief!”

“Don’t go,” Cui Xun stopped her, saying: “Could a single charm turn someone from last place to first? Mingyuezhu, it doesn’t matter.”

Li Ying was still unwilling to give up. Cui Xun said, “Rather than looking for the charm, why not give me something else?”

“What?”

Cui Xun said, “A lock of your hair.”

Li Ying was stunned: “My hair?”

Cui Xun nodded: “To see one’s hair is like seeing the person. Mingyuezhu, I want you to accompany me during the palace examination.”

In his previous life, due to extreme self-doubt, Cui Xun had rarely expressed his feelings to Li Ying. It was Li Ying who had been the boldest one. By the time he finally cast aside his burdens, he didn’t have much time left to live. In those final days, his body was covered in wounds, and the remainder of his life was limited. Even when he was with Li Ying, there was always a sense of fear and bitterness. He had never been able to express his ardent feelings to Li Ying as freely as in this life.

In his previous life, Li Ying approached him. In this life, he wanted to approach Li Ying.

Li Ying’s face reddened slightly. She took a small dagger, cut off a lock of her hair, and handed it to Cui Xun. He placed it in the lotus pouch as if it were a treasure, saying: “Mingyuezhu, I will take good care of this pouch. Even if I die, it won’t be lost.”

Just like in his previous life.

Li Ying spat lightly: “Don’t talk about dying or not dying. I’m still waiting for you to come back and marry me.”

Cui Xun nodded, his smile as gentle as the spring breeze: “I will.”

The boat was about to depart. Cui Xun boarded the deck, and Li Ying remained on the shore, waving reluctantly. Cui Xun was also reluctant to enter the cabin. Suddenly, he heard a voice beside him: “Sir, you resemble an old acquaintance.”

Cui Xun turned around and was startled—it was Yu Fuwei.

Yu Fuwei had achieved third place in the imperial examination in the first year of Yong’an, finally realizing his aspiration. Starting as a ninth-rank proofreader, he had now risen to become the third-rank Governor of Luozhou. Luoyang was the secondary capital, and the Governor of Luozhou held considerable influence, approaching the status of a prime minister. This showed how highly the Empress valued him.

Cui Xun pressed his lips together and made a formal bow: “Governor Yu.”

Yu Fuwei was in his middle years, but his appearance showed few signs of aging. He was still as handsome as he had been in his youth. Perhaps appearance reflected the heart—he had always been open-minded and unrestrained, and had not changed even after entering officialdom. That might be why his appearance hadn’t changed much.

As Cui Xun straightened up, he looked calmly at Yu Fuwei. Yu Fuwei looked him up and down. Those eyes were too similar to that person’s—the same peach blossom eyes, the same gorgeous beauty, and that frost-like detached temperament, identical to that person’s. Yu Fuwei tentatively asked: “Young sir, are you an old acquaintance?”

Cui Xun nodded. Yu Fuwei took a deep breath: “Indeed.”

His gaze turned to Li Ying on the shore, still with the same delicate beauty and dignified grace: “She is also an old acquaintance, I presume?”

Cui Xun replied again: “Yes.”

Yu Fuwei was stunned for a moment before sighing: “Good.”

It wasn’t clear whether this “good” was a comment on Cui Xun and Li Ying or the particularly merciful workings of fate.

Yu Fuwei looked at the luggage Cui Xun was carrying and asked: “Are you going to Chang’an?”

“Yes, for the examination.”

“She’s not going?” She meant Li Ying.

Cui Xun said, “No.”

“That’s a pity,” Yu Fuwei said. “Her Majesty misses her very much.”

“Her Majesty” referred to the Empress. Since her ascension, she had changed the form of address from “Your Majesty” to “Her Majesty.” Her longing for her daughter, who died young, was known throughout the land. Originally, the eternal lamps in forty thousand Buddhist temples across the country had all gone out simultaneously on the night of Cui Xun’s death, with their wicks unable to be relit. The Empress had been heartbroken. Later, the wicks mysteriously relit themselves, giving the Empress renewed hope that her beloved daughter had been reincarnated rather than her soul lingering in this world.

Now, as the Empress was over eighty years old and approaching the end of her life, her yearning for her beloved daughter had grown even stronger. Yu Fuwei said, “However, no matter how much Her Majesty misses Mingyuezhu, she has not burdened the people by sending men to search for Mingyuezhu’s reincarnation.”

Cui Xun said, “Mingyuezhu once told Her Majesty that she wished Her Majesty would be a mother to all the people of the world. Her Majesty has fulfilled that wish. Since her ascension, she has been receptive to advice, diligent in governance, and caring toward the people. Perhaps she believes that as long as she governs the country well, her Mingyuezhu will surely live well. And Mingyuezhu now has another set of parents and has begun a completely different life. She doesn’t want to disturb her. If fate brings them together, they will meet again. If not, there’s no need to force it.”

After listening, Yu Fuwei smiled: “You’ve always been better at understanding Her Majesty’s thoughts than I have. Her Majesty probably thinks exactly as you’ve described.”

Cui Xun shook his head: “These aren’t Her Majesty’s thoughts, but a mother’s thoughts.”

The thoughts of a selfless, unconditional mother.

Yu Fuwei nodded. Then he asked Cui Xun: “What about you? I thought you wouldn’t enter the court again.”

After all, Cui Xun’s previous experience at court had been far from pleasant.

Cui Xun replied frankly: “A man born into this world, with his skills and abilities, should serve his country and speak for the people. Moreover, having been granted a new life is already heaven’s blessing, so naturally I should repay society.”

Yu Fuwei was somewhat surprised. He examined Cui Xun closely. The young man before him, although resembling his previous incarnation in appearance, was no longer grim and ruthless. Yu Fuwei said, “You’re a bit different from before.”

But perhaps this was how he had always been, only temporarily cast into the hell of endless suffering by his too-painful experiences. But having emerged from hell, he was once again the Tianwei Army’s Seventeenth Young Master with a pure heart.

Cui Xun smiled and asked Yu Fuwei in return: “What about you, Governor Yu? Have you truly let go of the past?”

Yu Fuwei admitted candidly: “Sometimes I wake in the middle of the night and ask myself who I am. But when I wake up and go to the government office, seeing all the common people earnestly presenting their petitions, I realize—does it matter who I am? What matters is who I want to be.”

He looked into the distance, where the Grand Canal stretched so wide one couldn’t see its end: “In my years as an official, I’ve seen plenty of the world’s suffering, which makes me feel how brief human life is—just a few decades. The heart can be confined to a tiny space, or it can soar in the heavens. It can dwell on hatred, or it can benefit countless people. It’s all about how one chooses.”

Throughout their conversation, Yu Fuwei displayed an open and magnanimous spirit. It seemed that his sixteen years in office had indeed further tempered him. Cui Xun nodded: “Governor Yu, are you going to Luozhou?”

Yu Fuwei replied: “That’s right. If you’re going to Chang’an, we can travel together for part of the way.”

Cui Xun smiled: “Excellent.”

Yu Fuwei looked toward Li Ying on the shore, who was now so distant that her features could no longer be distinguished clearly. Yet she was still there, watching Cui Xun depart. Yu Fuwei smiled and patted Cui Xun’s shoulder: “In this palace examination, you must take first place. At the banquet for the top scholar, I want to drink a toast to your wedding.”

Cui Xun smiled slightly and nodded, his eyes filled with the pride and self-confidence unique to a young man: “Of course.”