Ever since Jingrong entered the palace, Ji Yunshu had been waiting outside the residence. Time passed bit by bit, yet she still didn’t see Jingrong return. Before she knew it, dusk had arrived.

Her heart grew increasingly anxious, her expression poor.

Lang Bo said from the side, “Miss Ji, don’t worry. His Highness will definitely be fine.”

“I’m not worried something happened to him.”

“Then what is it?”

“…” She herself couldn’t quite say—in any case, her heart just felt unsettled.

She walked a few steps outside, looking into the distance, but still didn’t see Jingrong’s carriage approaching.

Involuntarily, her hands twisted tightly together.

Her heartbeat grew more and more urgent!

Just then, a shadow descended from the roof beam, landing before Ji Yunshu.

“Miss Ji.” Shi Ziran called out.

Hearing this, Ji Yunshu turned to look and asked, “How is it?”

Shi Ziran, covered in sweat and breathing heavily, said, “Miss Ji, you can rest assured. His Highness has already left the palace.”

“He’s already left the palace? Then why hasn’t he returned?” She glanced again.

“His Highness, he…”

“He what? Speak quickly.”

“His Highness went to another place.”

Hmm?

Ji Yunshu didn’t understand, “Another place? What do you mean?”

Two incense sticks’ time later.

Shi Ziran brought Ji Yunshu to the outside of a residence that had long been vacant.

Sure enough, Jingrong’s carriage was parked at the entrance.

And the main gate of that residence had already been pushed open by someone.

Presumably Jingrong was inside!

But why had he come here?

Whose residence was this?

Ji Yunshu got out of the sedan chair and looked at the luxurious and magnificent residence before her. But because it had been vacant all along, the entire estate appeared cold and lifeless, without any human presence. Even the two large stone lions outside the gate were covered in dust.

When looking from outside to inside, one could even clearly see the weeds in the courtyard within.

They were almost knee-high!

Above that great red gate hung an old plaque reading “承德天鑒” (Chengde Tianjian)!

It was covered with spider webs.

Ji Yunshu wondered, “This place is…”

Shi Ziran explained from the side, “This is the former Eighth Prince’s residence. After the late Emperor ascended the throne, the residence was not returned to the Imperial Household Department but was preserved. Only the prince’s residence plaque was taken down, and the late Emperor personally inscribed these four characters ‘Chengde Tianjian’ before hanging it up.”

Chengde Tianjian!

She nodded slightly to show she understood.

Why had Jingrong come to the former Eighth Prince’s residence?

Without thinking further, she stepped inside.

Even from outside, it had already seemed quite desolate and bleak here. Once inside, it appeared even more dilapidated.

Abandoned for decades, it was naturally in complete disarray.

There wasn’t even proper ground to walk on anymore.

And at this moment—

Jingrong stood in the corridor of the rear courtyard, his hands hanging at his sides, that gaze full of memories constantly fixed on a stone table placed in the courtyard.

Memories gradually wrapped around his mind…

“Imperial Brother’s chess skills have improved considerably.” Duke Yuguo (Jing Li) praised.

At that time, Emperor Qizhen, who was still just the Eighth Prince, smiled, twisted his wide sleeves, and placed a black stone from his fingertips onto the chessboard, saying as he did so, “How can I compare to you? Every time I’m short by half a stone or a full stone.”

“You’ve also won a few times.”

“That was also because you let me win.” Emperor Qizhen said.

Duke Yuguo placed a white stone, “This game of chess requires a settled mind and concentrated play. If one’s heart is not in it, naturally one will lose.”

“You speak well indeed.”

The two laughed.

They continued playing chess!

They continued discussing learning!

Very harmonious!

The memories gradually dispersed.

The corners of Jingrong’s mouth gradually bloomed into a smile, but that trace of a smile slowly faded again because of the scene before his eyes.

Ji Yunshu, who had just arrived, happened to see this.

She walked to his side and, following his gaze, looked into the courtyard. Because no one had cleaned it for many years, the yard had already grown full of weeds, messy and chaotic. That stone table also had some cracks, and the stone stools were even more toppled and askew, mixed with mud—utterly disheveled.

At this moment, the overcast sky began to rain again.

Fine rain fell slantwise, cold wind sweeping through.

Occasionally a few drops drifted in, landing on people’s faces, in their hair…

Ice cold!

Ji Yunshu stood at his side and asked, “Why did you suddenly come here?”

Jingrong was silent for quite a while before saying, “I don’t know.”

He truly didn’t know why he had come here.

Ji Yunshu said nothing.

Jingrong said, “They say history always repeats itself. I never believed it, but thinking of Father Emperor and Duke Yuguo back then, remembering those days at the Eighth Prince’s residence—there was no scheming and plotting, no struggle for imperial power. The residence was filled with laughter and joy every day. But now, I and Wei Yi—aren’t we just like the late Emperor and Duke Yuguo back then? History… truly does repeat itself.”

Ji Yunshu looked at him with heartache and asked, “Then what is your decision?”

He shook his head, then turned to look at Ji Yunshu earnestly. He then drew that testament from his sleeve and handed it to her.

“Jingrong?”

“I’ve already agreed to Wei Yi’s request. I will personally lead troops to Houlliao. I’m more at ease with you holding this testament than anyone else.”

Her hand holding that testament trembled, tears immediately flowing as she said, “I’ll go with you.”

“No, you must stay in the capital.”

“No!”

“Be obedient.”

“I…”

“Do you know who else is accompanying me on this journey?”

“Who?”

“Ji Huan!”

Uh!

Ji Yunshu was astonished, “Wei Yi arranged this?”

“That’s right!” Jingrong said, “If it weren’t for me back then, Jing Yi wouldn’t have been defeated, Ji Li wouldn’t have died, and the Ji family wouldn’t have fallen to such a state today. In Ji Huan’s eyes, I am his enemy. Who knows what will happen on this journey to Houlliao, so you absolutely cannot go.”

“I don’t care!” She immediately threw herself into his embrace, saying, “I said before, no matter where you go, I will follow you. I won’t separate from you, and I cannot separate from you.”

Extremely earnest.

Jingrong held her, embracing her very tightly.

…

Several days later.

Jingrong led the troops from the capital out of the city to rendezvous with the troops outside the city and Ji Huan, then they would all go together to the Houlliao border.

Ji Yunshu went along as well.

In the palace, when Wei Yi heard that Ji Yunshu had also gone, he angrily smashed the teacup in his hand to the ground with a “bang.”

Shattered porcelain fragments flew everywhere!

One piece landed beside a pair of clean women’s shoes.

Ji Wanxin’s lips curved slightly. She bent down to pick up that shard, and as she walked toward Wei Yi, she said, “Don’t worry, she’ll come back.”

Wei Yi glared at her angrily, “I told you not to come in here.”

“Of course I know, but now we’re people in the same boat—neither can do without the other!”

“Wishful thinking!” Wei Yi’s face was sinister. “I am not the same kind of person as you.”

“Then what kind of person is Your Majesty?”

“You want to destroy everything, but I… want to obtain everything.”

Ji Wanxin smiled slightly, placing the shard of porcelain in her hand beside Wei Yi’s hand, saying, “But on one point, we are the same—we both have a common enemy: Jingrong!”