She couldn’t go!

Ziqing froze completely, one foot suspended in midair. What did Yingzi mean by this!

“Princess consort, you especially cannot leave. If you leave now, everything won over at the Court of Judicial Review today will all be lost!”

Yingzi’s words snapped Ziqing back to reality. She had been so entirely focused on Jun Beiyue that she had still been thinking about how, once Physician Gu’s anger cooled and Jun Beiyue’s injuries improved somewhat, she would finally be able to care for him herself.

How had she overlooked this crucial fact? She now held vast military power in her hands, controlling the four regions of Da Zhou, controlling the very capital itself. She sat in Jun Beiyue’s own position, shouldering the entire weight of Da Zhou in his place!

If she left now, everything would be ruined in an instant!

“Rest assured, princess consort, Physician Gu, Young Master Situ, and I will make absolutely certain the prince is safely escorted to the Eastern Sea Gu clan’s Immortal Retreat Mountain!” Yingzi said earnestly.

Ziqing’s tear-streaked face remained tightly composed, as though forcibly holding something back.

At this moment, Physician Gu suddenly extended his hand and said earnestly, “Princess consort, please return the Flowing Light dagger to the prince. He’ll need that token to gain entry to Immortal Retreat Mountain!”

Ziqing’s lips trembled visibly. Lowering her eyes, she finally drew out the dagger she’d kept hidden in her sleeve all along, gripping it tightly before finally extending it toward Physician Gu.

“Princess consort, don’t worry. Once the prince wakes, he’ll give it back to you himself.”

Yingzi comforted her softly. Having spent so long alongside Jun Beiyue, he understood exactly how deeply this man had once favored this woman, and he couldn’t bear to watch her look so helpless now. As long as their master remained unconscious, the weight resting on her shoulders would only continue to grow heavier and heavier.

If their master could see how lost she looked in this moment, surely his heart would ache for her.

For a long, long while, Ziqing still couldn’t bring herself to let go.

She knew that once she released her grip this time, it wouldn’t be like the previous two times, when she could secretly go retrieve it again later. Once she let go now, it would mean the ends of the earth, with no telling when they might meet again—and she hadn’t even had the chance to look at the person inside that carriage properly, one last time!

“Princess consort, time is critical. This delay is putting the prince’s life at risk.” Physician Gu said coldly.

Ziqing seemed startled by his words, and immediately released her grip. The moment the Flowing Light dagger fell into Physician Gu’s hand, it was swiftly tucked away inside the carriage, disappearing from sight entirely!

Time truly was critical—not only was the timeline for setting sail extremely tight, but with everything having happened just the night before, though no one might come calling this very morning, it wouldn’t be long before many would come to test the waters, many keeping constant watch over Prince Yao’s mansion, monitoring Prince Yao’s condition. If they didn’t leave now, things would only grow more complicated!

“Princess consort, take care of yourself. Everything in the capital has already been arranged—if there’s anything you’re unsure about, you can find Commander Ouyang. Word has already been sent to the rest of the Tiger Army as well; you may rest completely assured, princess consort, there will be absolutely no rebellious troops among the prince’s forces.” Yingzi hesitated for a moment, then added, “Princess consort, this subordinate trusts our master’s judgment, and trusts that the princess consort can handle whatever comes. Please be careful, and especially… especially be wary of Xuanyuan Lige!”

Ziqing seemed not to have heard a single word Yingzi said, her tear-filled eyes wide, wide open, her lips pressed tightly together as though holding something back with all her strength, her entire body tense, her face flushed and trembling.

At this moment, she looked exactly like a frightened, terrified child, desperately wanting to cry, yet forcing herself not to.

She didn’t even dare speak, only nodding firmly.

“Princess consort, take care!” Yingzi sighed and finally cracked the whip, setting off.

The carriage moved swiftly, quickly racing off into the distance. Ziqing watched, unblinking, watched as that retreating figure was about to disappear entirely, as that person was about to leave forever.

A wave of bitter sorrow surged up in her heart, and she could no longer hold back. She suddenly rushed forward, crying out in a choked voice, “Wait! Wait for me! Jun Beiyue, wait for me!”

Four horses, sixteen legs racing at full speed—Ziqing had only two legs, yet she ran with all her might, chasing desperately, completely forgetting she even knew martial arts, until with a few aerial flips she actually caught up!

Driven purely by that stubborn, foolish determination, she pushed herself with everything she had—and remarkably, she actually caught up to them!

Yingzi and Situ Haonan watched that small, slender figure racing past, both momentarily stunned. Yingzi quickly pulled the reins, slowing the carriage gradually.

They saw Ziqing standing far ahead, arms spread wide, staring fixedly at them. It had to be said, this stubborn determination left even Yingzi and Situ Haonan feeling a flicker of unease.

What was this woman trying to do?

Situ Haonan, thoroughly startled, was the first to speak, watching Ziqing from a distance. “Han Ziqing, what are you doing? You really can’t come with us!”

“I have something… just a moment’s delay, it’ll be quick.” Ziqing said, her voice choked, clearly forcing back the urge to cry.

“If you had something to say, you should have said so earlier! Running like that… why did you fall so far behind in the first place?”

“I… I was afraid the carriage might stop too suddenly and hurt him.” This “him,” without question, referred to Jun Beiyue.

Situ Haonan felt an inexplicable pang in his chest, and quickly climbed down from the carriage. “Time really is tight. Just tell me quickly, what is it?”

“Can I… can I just… say a word to him, just one word, I’ll come right down after.” Ziqing said, her voice choked with tears.

“Say something to who?” Situ Haonan blurted out, rather thick-headed about the whole thing—Jun Beiyue was completely unconscious, who exactly did she want to speak to?

“Jun Beiyue.” Ziqing answered immediately, with utmost seriousness.

At once, inside the carriage, the hand carefully steadying Jun Beiyue’s body went slightly rigid—Physician Gu, who had been about to erupt in anger again, froze.

“I just want one look, I just want to say one thing to him, I promise, just one sentence, and then you can leave right away.”

“Whatever chance he’s missed, I promise I’ll make sure to preserve it for him. I promise I won’t bring shame to his name. Just let me say one thing to him, please.”

…

Outside, her voice grew thick with sobs, almost pleading—so different from the fierce, unyielding Prince Yao’s consort who had shown no mercy back at the Court of Judicial Review.

“Come down for now.” Physician Gu said flatly, lowering his head and climbing out of the carriage on his own.

Seeing Physician Gu step out, Ziqing’s heart leapt with joy, yet she still didn’t dare step forward, until Yingzi finally urged her, “Princess consort, hurry, get in the carriage!”

Only then did Ziqing rush forward and climb in. Inside, Jun Beiyue lay peacefully on his back, deeply unconscious. Ziqing covered her mouth and leaned in close, both hands rising, longing so desperately to touch his face, his handsome brow, his high nose bridge, his thin, ruthless lips, longing to touch his wound—but she didn’t dare, didn’t dare touch him at all, afraid that in her haste she might hurt him further.

She hesitated, yet her heart raced with urgency, wanting to stay just a little longer, look just a little more, yet worried about those waiting outside, worried about running out of time. Her mind went completely blank, and all the words she had so desperately wanted to say just moments ago were suddenly forgotten entirely.

She had no idea that outside, Physician Gu was secretly wiping away tears of his own, holding Yingzi back from urging her to hurry.

She didn’t dare delay any longer. Sniffling, she leaned in gently, softly pressing her lips against his pale ones, and whispered, “Jun Beiyue, I have something true I need to tell you. I’ll tell you when you wake up.”

With that, however reluctant she felt, she forced herself to withdraw and step back out.

Physician Gu said nothing more, lowering his head and climbing back into the carriage. But Ziqing spoke up. “Physician Gu, I’m counting on you.”

Physician Gu paused slightly, then finally spoke. “Princess consort, your own situation is no less perilous than the prince’s. Take care of yourself.”

With that, he climbed aboard the carriage!

Ziqing stepped back on her own, lowering her head, not daring to watch the retreating figures any longer, yet listening intently as the sound of hooves, the creak of wheels, gradually… gradually faded into the distance, then disappeared entirely.

But when she finally looked up, she came face to face with Situ Haonan, quite unexpectedly!

This fellow hadn’t left after all.

“This young master suddenly remembered there’s a promise I made to Jun Beiyue that I haven’t fulfilled yet, so I really can’t leave after all. Ha, I’ll accompany you on this trip to Nanzhao.”

Situ Haonan grinned with his usual roguish air, though a flicker of genuine sympathy lay hidden beneath his eyes. Heaven only knew what had made him turn back after all.