Su Ziluo could deceive others, but he could not deceive his own heart.

He could not let go of Ji Yunshu.

From beginning to end, she had always occupied the deepest, most profound place in his heart.

He could not erase her, could not forget her.

“Shu’er, I’m sorry.” That was the last line of defense Su Ziluo held onto.

When Ji Yunshu learned the truth, she only felt a sharp pain in her chest!

She had truly believed that Su Ziluo had let go, that he had already let go when they parted on the city tower in the capital all those years ago.

However, he had not.

She said through her tears, “You don’t need to apologize to me. Rather, it’s that I knew too little, never imagining that you had experienced so much over these years. You should have told me.”

“Whether I told you or not, what difference would it make? I have never felt as relieved as I do now. This is good.” A trace of release emerged in Su Ziluo’s heart. Tears silently flowed from the corners of his eyes, dripping onto the back of his hand. The faint warmth seeped into the fine lines, as if boiling his blood, warming his entire body.

In this moment, he truly let go.

He then turned to Jingrong and said, “I also owe you an apology.”

After hearing his earlier explanation, Jingrong could not harbor even a trace of resentment. In fact, he felt somewhat sympathetic.

Letting go of someone you once loved so deeply—how could that be easy?

It was merely self-deception!

He said, “I don’t blame you!”

“Thank you.” The corners of Su Ziluo’s mouth were bitter. “During these three years, I sometimes truly wished you were Lichuan.”

“This life was saved by you. What difference is there between Jingrong and Lichuan?”

“Having you say this, I am content.” He paused, then continued, “Although you have not yet remembered the past, I know your love for Shu’er will not change. I have no other wishes now, only hoping that from now on, you two will be safe and sound, not experiencing any more great storms and waves. This would fulfill one of my heart’s desires.”

Jingrong glanced at Ji Yunshu and earnestly said, “We will!”

“Then I can rest assured.” Su Ziluo turned his wheelchair around to face the iron window above the cell, his lips slightly raised. “You may leave!”

He did not turn back to look again, his gaze firmly fixed on the view outside the window.

Only after the people behind him had left did he softly say, “Shu’er… take care!”

Outside the iron window, snowflakes continued to fall.

The cold air broke through the window, sweeping into every corner of the cell…

After leaving the Court of Judicial Review’s prison, Ji Yunshu and Jingrong boarded Wen Che’s carriage.

Shu Tian immediately drove the carriage away.

Inside the carriage, all three were in heavy spirits.

They repeatedly recalled every sentence Su Ziluo had said.

Until Ji Yunshu firmly declared, “I must save him.”

Wen Che reminded her, “Even if my Wen family were to raise troops in rebellion, it could not happen in a short time.”

Jingrong suddenly spoke up, “Actually… there is another way, but it requires taking a dangerous gamble!”

…

Regarding Su Ziluo’s charges, the Emperor did not immediately issue an order to determine his guilt.

Three days later, the Emperor secretly summoned Su Ziluo at night, having him escorted into the palace by elite soldiers from the Court of Judicial Review.

At this time, at the South Gate.

A group of people dressed in pavilion chief uniforms were escorting boxes of cargo, preparing to enter the palace.

The guards at the gate stopped them. “What is this?”

The two people at the front looked at each other. Because both wore hats, and the lamplight at the city gate was rather dim at night, their faces were not clearly visible. Pavilion Chief A produced an identification token and said, “As the year’s end approaches, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices is delivering blessing items to the palace.”

“Open them and let us see.”

“They’re all ordinary items. There’s no need to open them, is there?”

“This is the rule. Everything transported into the palace must be carefully inspected.”

Pavilion Chief B said, “In previous years, no inspection was needed. Before we loaded them, we looked at everything very carefully. There won’t be anything that shouldn’t be there.”

The guard immediately became more vigilant, examining the approximately thirty-plus large boxes behind them, and said sternly, “This year is different from previous years. Everything must be inspected. Open them quickly.”

Pavilion Chief A and B looked at each other again. Knowing the other party was difficult to deal with, they raised their hands and ordered, “Open the boxes.”

The people transporting the cargo into the palace opened the boxes one by one.

Inside were indeed items used for blessing purposes.

However, the guards at the gate exercised extra caution, instructing their own men, “Look carefully through to the bottom. We cannot allow anything to go wrong.”

“Yes!”

A group of guards responded and got to work.

Just as they were about to lift the top layer in the boxes, a voice came from the side, “What is this?”

Hearing the voice and looking over, they saw Empress Qiu Qu’er walking over with graceful steps.

Everyone paid their respects. “Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress.”

Qiu Qu’er approached and looked. “So these are items sent by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Why are they all placed here? Hurry and send them in!”

Pavilion Chief A and B immediately responded, “Yes.”

They had everyone close all the boxes.

The guard was concerned and said, “Your Majesty the Empress, these items must be carefully inspected. What if…”

“What ‘what if’? Every year they’re delivered at this time. Year after year, it’s the same few items. There are at least thirty-plus large boxes here. If you inspect them one by one, when will you finish? Besides, if something gets damaged, can you take responsibility?”

At this, the guard trembled with fear. Thinking that if something truly broke during the inspection process, his own life probably could not compensate for it, he could only step back and bow slightly. “Yes.”

He agreed to let the Court of Imperial Sacrifices people pass through.

Qiu Qu’er glanced at the two pavilion chiefs A and B who were keeping their heads lowered, walked over, and said softly, “Remember well, your Court of Imperial Sacrifices owes this palace a favor.”

The two bowed in respect. “Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Qiu Qu’er raised her chin slightly and left with lotus steps.

Pavilion Chief A drew in a sharp breath, patting his chest. “That was a close call.”

Pavilion Chief B pulled at him. “Hurry and get to work.”

The thirty-plus large boxes were then carried into the palace one after another.

…

The Imperial Study.

Su Ziluo was brought here from the Court of Judicial Review’s prison. Although his clothes were more or less stained with some dirt, his bearing was undiminished.

He sat in his wheelchair, looking at Prince Qujiang, who now sat behind the imperial desk with dragon-like and tiger-like authority.

The Emperor dismissed all the eunuchs from the hall, walked down from behind the imperial desk, and said as he moved, “General Su, I never imagined that today I would meet with you in this manner.”

Su Ziluo remained calm and composed, not the least bit afraid. Instead, he smiled and said, “As the saying goes, ‘When the birds are gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked.’ I also never imagined that my Su family’s generations of loyalty would, at this time and day, result in such circumstances.”

“It seems you already know.”

“Your Majesty was thoughtful. I dare not be ignorant.”

“You cannot blame me. If you must blame someone, blame only the Su family’s power for expanding to the point where I had to guard against it!”

Ha!

How laughable!

Su Ziluo no longer feared life or death, but there was one thing he did not understand. “Matters have reached this point. I only do not understand: how did Your Majesty know that I secretly sent people to the Southern Frontier, thus using this matter to frame me and deepen the conflict between myself and the Wen family? And how did you know that on the day of the courtesan selection, I would offer wine to Old General Wen?”

As he said, matters had reached this point, so the Emperor naturally wanted to let him die with understanding.

“Very well, I will tell you.” The Emperor’s eyes became somewhat fierce, and he said word by word, “You calculated everything, but you failed to calculate that Miss Qi’er by your side, who was so loyal and devoted.”

Ah!