The next day, when Ziqing woke, Jun Beiyue was already sitting by her bedside, carefully blowing on a steaming bowl of medicinal broth.
The moment he saw her wake, Jun Beiyue smiled—a smile brimming with mysterious delight, his clear eyes unable to hide the joy and doting affection within them.
Such a gaze felt both familiar and somehow strange to Ziqing.
Glancing at the bowl in his hands, she asked flatly, “What’s that?”
“Medicine,” Jun Beiyue answered honestly.
“I know it’s medicine—what’s it for?” Ziqing shot him an irritated glance, her mind still somewhat distracted, still preoccupied with worry over her son.
Seeing her expression, Jun Beiyue couldn’t help but smile. “Still thinking about your son?”
“He should be reaching Pingcheng by now,” Ziqing said flatly. There was no denying she was thinking of him—yesterday, she’d only managed to let him go, and to let him take Consort Li along, through sheer gritted-teeth resolve.
“Word came this morning—he’s already passed Pingcheng. Guxi’s letter has also reached Baili Weisheng. Don’t worry, that annoying bookworm might just have a solution,” Jun Beiyue said.
“You’re really that at ease about this? Don’t you find it strange? He must be hiding something from us, something he doesn’t want us worrying about! But what could it possibly have to do with Consort Li?” Ziqing said anxiously.
“He’s already left, and yet you still can’t let it go. He’s grown up now—he’s endured ten whole years. What obstacle could he possibly not overcome?” Jun Beiyue countered.
“You—!” Ziqing snapped in frustration. “A father will never understand a mother’s heart!” Jun Beiyue couldn’t help but laugh, bringing the bowl of medicine to Ziqing. “Here, drink up. Your body’s still weak—take care of yourself first, then worry about your precious son.”
“I’m not sick at all—what is this medicine for?” Ziqing asked.
“Old Jue prescribed it to help nourish your body. Drink it while it’s still warm,” Jun Beiyue urged. Ziqing finally took the porcelain bowl, and enduring the bitter taste, began drinking it down in large gulps.
But just as Ziqing began drinking, Jun Beiyue continued, “Old Jue said this is the finest tonic for nourishing a pregnancy. Our daughter’s already over three months along—she’s still so small, you need to nourish yourself properly, and also—”
Pfft!
Suddenly, Ziqing spat out an entire mouthful of medicine, choking and coughing violently, demanding between coughs, “You… cough, cough… what did you… cough, cough, cough… what did you just say?!”
Seeing her flustered, disheveled reaction, Jun Beiyue finally couldn’t hold back any longer, bursting into hearty laughter, his joy utterly beyond words.
Ziqing stared at him in a daze, then looked down at her own belly, seemingly beginning to understand, and suddenly grabbed hold of Jun Beiyue’s arm, exclaiming in alarm, “What did you just say? Say it again!”
Only then did Jun Beiyue turn to look at her properly, his eyes filled entirely with tenderness and adoration. He leaned in close, nuzzling her cheek gently with his high, straight nose, his large hand resting softly over her belly, saying tenderly, “A daughter… our daughter, three months along.”
A daughter?!
Ziqing was struck utterly speechless with shock.
A daughter!
They had once talked about wanting another daughter someday, one as adorable and mischievous as Baili Xiaosheng.
And now, here she was, arriving completely unexpectedly.
Ziqing stared down at her belly in utter disbelief, her small hand carefully covering Jun Beiyue’s larger one, her heart pounding uncontrollably. Even having already had one child, and one so grown now, at this very moment she still felt that same overwhelming joy of becoming a mother for the very first time.
After a long while, she finally lifted her head to look at Jun Beiyue, and at last understood where this particular joy came from.
It was him!
He was here!
This time, he was the one who’d discovered it first.
This time, he was right there beside her, watching over her carefully, present every step of the way.
A wave of happiness suddenly welled up from deep within her heart, impossible to contain. Looking at Jun Beiyue, Ziqing pressed her lips together again and again, feeling she ought to say something—yet in this moment, with their eyes meeting, silence spoke louder than any words.
“Promise me, don’t worry too much about Xiong Bao’s affairs. I’ll have Baili Weisheng keep an eye on things. Right now, just focus on taking good care of the little one, alright?” Jun Beiyue asked gently.
Only then did Ziqing snap back to herself. “Xiong Bao’s going to have a little sister!”
Jun Beiyue nodded, smiling. “Mm-hm. Though this little sister will be quite a few years younger than him…”
This set Ziqing laughing heartily, unable to resist imagining what kind of reaction Jun Buli would have upon learning he was about to have a little sister!
Only a day had passed, and already she found herself missing him terribly!
“Rest for a few days, don’t think about it too much—I’ll take you out to clear your mind,” Jun Beiyue suggested. Ziqing nodded obediently, nestling into Jun Beiyue’s embrace, quietly closing her eyes, and the whole room fell into a peaceful, warm silence along with her.
After a month of careful recuperation, Ziqing’s belly had visibly begun to show. During this time, both Baili Weisheng and Jun Buli had sent letters twice.
Jun Buli had just reached the southern border, while Baili Weisheng had only just finished uncovering the full background of the Xiao clan, still with no leads whatsoever on Baili Xiaosheng’s whereabouts—the matter remained completely stalled.
Growing somewhat frustrated, Baili Weisheng handed over everything he’d uncovered in Nanzhao to Yingzi, instructing him to liaise with Jun Buli first, while he himself left Nanzhao, traveling northward all the way to the ruins of the old Great Qin capital.
Ziqing and Jun Beiyue had already arrived there ahead of him—after all, they’d promised long ago to erect a memorial stone for Ali, and that was a promise they couldn’t possibly forget.
The former territories of Western Chu and Eastern Qin had long since been fully incorporated into Da Zhou’s domain. A ring of smooth, well-paved imperial roads now encircled the area around Innocence Ravine, and several long bridges now spanned the chasm, connecting east and west—this vast expanse of land no longer bore any distinction between east and west at all.
Jun Buli had divided this territory into counties, all named after the character “Qin,” and the ruins of the old Great Qin imperial palace now stood upon the grasslands in the southwest of Qinchuan County.
The white jade stone Jun Beiyue had personally selected stood a full three stories tall, now lying upon the grass. Ziqing sat at one end of the great jade slab, playing “Shangli” upon the wuzheng. Unlike the blood zither, the wuzheng rendered “Shangli” far lighter and more carefree—the sorrow within it now only faint, much like Xuanyuan Lige’s own quiet, warm smile, equally understated, yet capable of lingering in the heart forever, never fully fading away.
Jun Beiyue had already spent three full days and nights carving, using Liuguang to painstakingly etch out the zither strings stroke by stroke, carving out those fourteen characters of melody: “Lishang will carry you home, where there is no more sorrow.”
Erecting this monument for Ali wasn’t meant as a grave marker, but as a zither monument instead—for in their hearts, Ali hadn’t died at all. Ali lived on forever within the Lishang illusion realm, a place free of sorrow!
Across the boundless grasslands, the zither’s melody drifted, ethereal and clear. Baili Weisheng, Yelu Qianqian, and Situ Haonan came galloping swiftly across the plain, and hearing that distant melody, for a fleeting moment, they almost believed Xuanyuan Lige had truly returned. Without meaning to, they slowed their horses, coming to a complete stop, afraid that drawing closer would only reveal that thin figure, that purple robe and silver hair, weren’t truly there at all…
Xuanyuan Lige, do you still remember what you once told Ziqing—that whenever she needed you, all she had to do was play the wuzheng, and you would appear?
Xuanyuan Lige, can you hear Ziqing’s melody now?
Xuanyuan Lige, are you doing well, wherever you are?
…