Reduced to commoners, family wealth confiscated for the public treasury, exiled to Huangzhou.

What about in the previous life?

In the previous life, not only were they reduced to commoners, but throughout the entire clan the women were forced to become official courtesans, the men punished as lowly slaves. Those who dared resist the edict were executed, and all three clans were exiled to the miasmic lands of Baiyue, four thousand li from home and country. The entire journey was filled with suffering. Yongyi Marquis Yan Mu had barely arrived at the place of exile when the damp, hot weather caused his old injuries to flare up. He lingered on his sickbed for only a short time before passing away.

This life was already far better compared to the previous one.

But in the end, they still had to be exiled?

Huangzhou.

Where was Huangzhou?

In both lifetimes, Jiang Xuening had never traveled far from the capital. Even if she had seen this place mentioned in books, it was hard to imagine what kind of place it actually was, whether it was habitable, and just how far away it really was.

However, Jiang Boyou felt deeply fortunate. Seeing his daughter suddenly looking dazed, he feared she was worried about the Yongyi Marquis Estate’s circumstances and hurriedly comforted her, saying: “Huangzhou is located in Hubei. Though twenty years ago during Prince Pingnan’s campaign when he marched north with his forces, his iron cavalry once trampled through there, causing this place to become a ruined and abandoned city today, compared to the usual places of exile like the Northwest, Liaodong, or Baiyue, it’s already much better. At most, life will be harder, but fortunately their lives are safe—they’ll just live as ordinary commoners. If they can endure it, there may yet be a time for restoration in the future.”

Jiang Xuening remained silent.

Jiang Boyou continued: “This is already His Majesty showing mercy beyond the law. Though they say it’s in consideration of the Marquis Estate’s meritorious service and hard work, in reality it’s still for the sake of the unborn child in Wen Jieyu’s womb. He doesn’t wish to be stained with blood and would rather spare the Marquis Estate to accumulate blessings for that child. Otherwise, just based on the Marquis Estate daring to contact Prince Pingnan’s traitor party, I’m afraid they could never be tolerated.”

Jiang Xuening understood all the reasoning. However, just thinking about how the entire Yongyi Marquis household would have to bear this injustice, leave the capital where they had lived for generations and their privileged life, and go to Huangzhou—including that young man who would also have to go suffer—she could feel that melancholy surge up from the depths of her heart, making her feel especially uncomfortable.

She asked: “When will it be?”

Jiang Boyou thought for a moment and said: “With the weather this cold now, and the New Year approaching, it should be after the New Year at the earliest.”

Jiang Xuening nodded thoughtfully.

After listening to Jiang Boyou speak for a while longer, she finally returned to her own room.

The furnishings inside had already been simplified considerably.

The guqin Jiaonan was stored in its silk bag, hanging at an angle on the wall. The sword that Yan Lin had asked her to help put away safely on the day of his coming-of-age ceremony lay silently hidden in its sword case. Walking to her vanity table, she lifted open a small box where the dried jasmine bracelet lay quietly inside.

Deep within the imperial prison, even daylight was like night.

Winter was cold and the ground damp.

Touching it with one’s hand, even the only quilt in this tiny cell was ice-cold. The only light human eyes could see came from two dim oil lamps lit on the distant wall. Yet Yan Lin sat with his back to the corridor. Though his back was covered in jagged bloody wounds, his gaze looked outward through the prison’s only window.

The daytime weather couldn’t be called good—all that met the eye was a grayish haze.

Occasionally clouds rushed across the sky.

However, as the daylight gradually dimmed, it seemed a great wind came and swept away the gloomy cloud layers on the horizon. Sparse stars spread across the window frame, and a crescent moon quietly climbed to the treetops.

It had been a long time since Yan Lin had seen such beautiful scenery.

A faint smile actually appeared at the corners of his lips.

The youthful, inexperienced edges still concealed some sharpness, not yet worn down but rather appearing increasingly spirited, like a sturdy pine rooted among mountain rocks facing the wind—without the slightest cowardice of bowing or retreating.

When Jiang Xuening arrived here under cover of night, this was the resolute profile she saw.

Gazing at the moon from prison—what night was this?

Her footsteps suddenly stopped moving. Zhou Yinzhi, who had followed her in, lowered his voice upon seeing this: “Miss, keep it brief and come out quickly. This humble official will take his leave first.”

Only then did Yan Lin hear the commotion.

He turned his head and saw the figure standing by the wall under the lamp.

It seemed she had come in secretly, avoiding others. She wore a deep black cloak, wrapping herself up tightly. However, that pale face still reflected a soft, lustrous glow in the dim yellow light.

Without even needing to see her completely, Yan Lin knew it was her.

In that instant, he laughed softly: “To dare come even here—you’ve really become capable.”

Jiang Xuening’s eyes reddened slightly. After quite a while, knowing he had recognized her, when she stepped forward it felt like walking on clouds, unsteady with each step.

It was only when she drew near that she saw the bloodstains on Yan Lin’s back.

In this cold, damp prison cell, besides the smell of straw and rusty decay, there also drifted a faint scent of blood and the bitter smell of medicine.

After hearing that the Yongyi Marquis Estate’s case had been concluded by the Three Judicial Offices, she couldn’t let it go. She sent someone to summon Zhou Yinzhi to ask, and finally took the risk of having him bring her into the imperial prison.

Fortunately, since the Marquis Estate hadn’t committed a capital crime, the heavy troops originally stationed at the prison had all withdrawn.

The entire prison’s defenses had relaxed considerably. According to Zhou Yinzhi, someone had already secretly come to visit the Marquis household. Presumably through behind-the-scenes maneuvering, she was able to pass through all the checkpoints to come here.

Jiang Xuening stood outside, not daring to get closer, afraid of seeing the young man in a wretched state and making him feel embarrassed. She only asked: “These past days, have you…”

Been alright?

Of course it wasn’t alright—what was the point of asking?

She had only spoken half the sentence when she suddenly lost her words. That mouth which could usually say anything became clumsy, and she didn’t even know how to speak anymore.

But Yan Lin looked at her and said: “I’ve been quite well.”

Jiang Xuening’s nose grew sour again.

Yet Yan Lin couldn’t help but laugh, though this laugh probably pulled at the wounds on his back, causing him pain. He immediately drew in a sharp breath of cold air and coughed several times, his complexion turning somewhat pale: “Don’t stand out there. Come in.”

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

This was the imperial prison—there was a thick prison door between them. How could she go in?

But unexpectedly, the young man steadied himself against the ice-cold wall beside him and actually rose with some difficulty. Standing up and walking to the prison door, he unwound the chains wrapped around it circle by circle, as if he were in his own home, pulled open the prison door, and waved his hand in welcome.

Jiang Xuening was dumbstruck.

Only at this moment did she suddenly remember that in her previous life, after the Yan clan got into trouble, Yan Lin had actually come to find her. It was only afterward that she learned the Yongyi Marquis Estate had met with disaster.

Just think—with such a serious crime, how could Yan Lin have escaped?

Now seeing this prison door so casually fastened with chains, it instantly awakened her memories from the previous life, making her aware of the unusual nature of this situation. Though it appeared to be exile, secretly they enjoyed such freedom. Was the Yongyi Marquis Estate’s situation at that time truly as dire as everyone thought?

Yan Lin seemed to guess what she was thinking. Seeing her standing outside without moving for so long, he finally couldn’t resist reaching out to pull her inside, saying: “Just looking at you like this, I know you’ve been worried sick these past days. But think about it—my Marquis Estate is still one of the two great noble houses in the capital with deep roots in the court. Plus, there’s you, this clever one, who came to give advance warning so we could prepare ahead of time. How could we truly fall into a predicament where we couldn’t recover at all?”

Jiang Xuening blinked but still didn’t react.

When Yan Lin pulled her, she didn’t pay attention and stumbled a step. Fortunately, Yan Lin reacted quickly and steadied her, preventing her from falling.

This somewhat dazed and confused appearance truly made Yan Lin sigh: “Seeing you like this, I’m afraid when I go to Huangzhou, I’ll be worried about you.”

Jiang Xuening said: “I’m not that foolish.”

Yan Lin then sat down on the bed in the corner that could even be called crude, patting the space beside him to call her to sit, saying: “I know. If you were truly foolish, you wouldn’t have used Zhou Yinzhi to secretly pass messages. Did he help you come in this time too?”

Jiang Xuening nodded.

Yan Lin then said: “This person is wildly ambitious, though that’s not much of a problem. He’s a fence-sitter—whichever way the wind blows, that’s where he’ll lean. As long as you’re the strongest wind, they won’t leave you. But if you have no intention of being that strong wind, it’s still better to be careful.”

Jiang Xuening knew this point.

She sat down, lowering her eyes, silent.

In this narrow, dark prison cell, the young woman and young man sat side by side, just like many years ago on those leisurely, languid afternoons when they climbed up the courtyard wall together, sat side by side shelling the freshly picked water caltrop seeds, looking at each other and smiling, both their legs dangling below the wall and swinging. Or like when they secretly slipped to the back mountain of the Buddhist temple, leaning against that enormous Buddha statue’s back, both putting their hands to their mouths and shouting toward the opposite valley, startling the flocks of roosting birds into flight…

Past times flowed quietly in this moment.

Her shadow and his were both cast on the damp, mottled wall, connected together by those cracks filled with grime.

Yan Lin suddenly felt so reluctant to leave this capital city.

Because here was someone he missed.

He turned his head to look at the young woman’s serene profile and suddenly asked her: “Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”

Jiang Xuening said: “I just wanted to come keep you company.”

She didn’t know what to say either, but just sitting together like this already seemed very reassuring.

The young man’s eyes misted over with emotion. When he smiled, it carried an especially moving quality. He only said: “You treat me so well, and I treat you so well too, so why don’t you like me?”

Jiang Xuening lowered her head, wordless.

After a very long time, from within the swaying dim yellow light and shadow, her voice finally emerged: “It has nothing to do with you. I already told you—I’m a bad person.”

But Yan Lin still looked at her, never shifting his gaze: “Then how are you bad?”

Jiang Xuening’s memories suddenly flowed like a surging river, flowing back to the previous life.

The Yan Lin of this life truly had nothing wrong with him.

It was just that the scars carved in her memory were too deep—so deep that no matter what, she couldn’t erase them. She could only avoid them from afar, doing her best to make amends…

“I had a dream.

“In the dream, I foolishly told you I wanted to become Empress.

“Then you became very angry.

“Later I did become Empress, and you came back too. Then together with others, you locked me up and treated me terribly, so terribly…”

Jiang Xuening’s voice had a wispy, ethereal quality. The beginning was light, but toward the end it seemed to tremble like a qin string. Yet she quickly steadied herself, only in that instant when she blinked and looked ahead, scalding tears suddenly slid down.

She thought, in this moment, she was weak.

Raising her hand as if nothing was wrong, she wiped away the tears and even smiled: “I’m a coward. In the dream you were so frightening, so I stopped liking you. Isn’t that bad enough?”

She clearly spoke of a dream, yet the instant her tears fell, Yan Lin felt his heart being squeezed, even finding it somewhat hard to breathe.

As if such a thing had truly happened.

How could anyone in this world stop liking someone because of a dream?

But in this moment, he couldn’t bear to probe deeply. He only said: “Then how can you say you’re the bad one? Clearly it was the me in your dream who was too bad, too bad, and made Ningning afraid to like me.”

The young man’s voice was so considerate and gentle.

In comparison, her words seemed like unreasonable troublemaking.

Jiang Xuening burst into tears all at once, her eyes turning red all around. She wanted to stop but couldn’t, causing Yan Lin to helplessly reach up with his finger to wipe her tears, even asking her: “Do you want to become Empress?”

Before coming, Jiang Xuening had thought that no matter what, she couldn’t cry.

However, when the tears fell uncontrollably, she felt embarrassed.

She drew back, randomly raising her sleeve to wipe her tears, also avoiding the young man’s burning gaze, saying dully: “I already said it was in a dream. I don’t want to now. But that’s the Empress—who wouldn’t want to be above everyone? What’s wrong with thinking about it?”

Yan Lin smiled despite himself, though his gaze deepened: “What kind of position above everyone is the Empress?”

Under this heaven, there was truly only one person who was “above everyone.”

Jiang Xuening didn’t know why he said this. She looked at him somewhat puzzled, but the young man raised his hand to gently pat her head, something vaguely passing through his eyes. No one knew that in such a prison cell, in such dire straits, this newly-adult young man had quietly established a grand ambition, but he told no one.

Outside, the night watchman’s clapper sounded.

Past the midnight hour.

The crescent moon outside that small window had also risen to mid-heaven and could no longer be seen, leaving only a frame of sparse stars and the ink-blue night sky.

Yan Lin felt time was passing far too quickly. Thinking of how he didn’t know how long it would be before he could return from this journey, he asked her: “Do you have someone you like now?”

Jiang Xuening lowered her head and said: “Yes.”

Yan Lin asked with a smile: “Then who is it?”

Jiang Xuening didn’t make a sound and didn’t dare say.

Yan Lin then remembered that official from the Ministry of Justice he had seen on the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, and said: “Is it that Lord Zhang Zhe from the Ministry of Justice?”

Jiang Xuening immediately looked up at him in astonishment.

But Yan Lin appeared calm and indifferent, saying: “The way you look at him is like the way I look at you.”

Jiang Xuening was speechless.

Yan Lin then turned his eyes to look at her, deliberately using a half-joking tone to say to her: “During the time I’m gone, you must work hard to marry yourself off, marry a good person worthy of entrusting yourself to. Otherwise, when I return, regardless of whether you like me or not, I’m going to snatch you away.”

The young man used a joking tone and even smiled, yet his gaze held deep seriousness.

Jiang Xuening knew he wasn’t joking.

However, marry Zhang Zhe?

Then she would truly need to work very, very hard to be worthy of him.

She softly hummed, clearly knowing the young man was looking at her somewhat teasingly, yet she wasn’t willing to admit defeat. She only said: “I will.”