Zhu Nanxian gripped the reins tightly with both hands. His ears burned as if on fire, and for some reason fine sweat seeped from his forehead. For a long while he couldn’t speak a word.

Tan Zhaolin looked at Zhu Nanxian, then at Su Jin standing beside him with lowered eyes and saying nothing. He scratched his head and said: “This doesn’t make sense. Then Thirteenth Prince—”

“Zhaolin!” Before he could finish, Su Jin suddenly spoke to stop him.

Then she bowed to Zhu Qiyue and Zhu Nanxian, her eyelids lowered: “Twelfth Prince, Thirteenth Prince, Zhaolin has been improper. I hope you two will not take offense.” After a pause, she added: “Your Highnesses, this subject… still has urgent cases to handle. If Your Highnesses have no other matters, please forgive this subject for taking leave first.”

Zhu Qiyue was stunned and couldn’t help glancing at Zhu Nanxian.

That day outside Fengtian Hall, he remembered that Thirteen had held a blade to Fourteen’s neck for this censor’s sake. Why did the two of them now seem not very familiar?

Zhu Qiyue couldn’t figure it out, and then thought that perhaps it was because Zhu Mixiao had gone too far that day, actually wanting to move against Seventeen, which was why Thirteen had become angry.

Thinking of this, Zhu Qiyue turned his horse’s head and laughed heartily: “Then we won’t delay Censor Su from handling cases.” He said to Tan Zhaolin: “Old Tan, come to my residence another day for a match!”

Having spoken, he and Zhu Nanxian rode their horses through Chengtian Gate.

Su Jin bowed deeply to see off the two, then turned to glance at Tan Zhaolin: “Let’s go.”

This glance startled Tan Zhaolin. Su Jin constantly toiled and her face was always pale and colorless, but now a trace of faint red had appeared on her cheeks—it was actually quite attractive.

However, whether Su Jin was attractive or not was not for Tan Zhaolin to consider. When he first learned she was a woman, he had indeed felt awkward for some time. But later, following her through various travels, personally witnessing her decisiveness and courage, her unparalleled wisdom and strategy—in Tan Zhaolin’s eyes, Su Jin had long surpassed ordinary people. Why would he still care whether she was male or female?

He hurriedly caught up, asking with concern: “My lord, are you unwell? Why is your face red?”

Su Jin ignored him, grasped the carriage shaft to climb into the carriage, and dropped a sentence: “Return to the residence.”

Tan Zhaolin acknowledged, waving his whip, and the carriage began rumbling along.

The bluestone road was not entirely smooth. As Su Jin sat in the carriage compartment, amid the jolting, the dagger hidden in her waist wrap felt as hot as a branding iron.

Actually, that day when Shen Xi had mentioned this dagger with his mix of truth and falseness, she had already guessed its origins were extraordinary. Yet she had pretended not to understand the situation and still kept it with her. But just now, the Twelfth Prince had already made clear this was an imperial gift. For her to continue keeping it as her own would be inappropriate no matter what.

Thinking of this, Su Jin lifted the carriage curtain: “Zhaolin, turn back.”

Zhu Nanxian and Zhu Qiyue had eunuchs lead the horses away and walked all the way to Xuanyuan Terrace. Zhu Qiyue suddenly remembered something and said: “Thirteen, I won’t go with you to see Lin’er. Tomorrow is Lady Cen’s memorial day. Fourth Brother has also arranged with me to go see Seventh Brother together to see if there’s anything we can help with.”

These three martial princes had always gotten along well among the brothers. When Zhu Nanxian was young, he had also been close to Zhu Zhaowei, but unfortunately, after growing up, the Eastern Palace and the Seventh Prince’s faction were irreconcilable, so the two had grown distant.

Zhu Nanxian nodded slightly and let Zhu Qiyue go.

He stood silently in place for a while, suddenly recalling several years ago when Zhu Minda had given the Nine Dragon Dagger to Shen Jing. He had stood on the side staring dumbly, seeming to understand yet not understand, only remembering that Eldest Imperial Brother had said one phrase: “I will marry none but you.”

There were truly few times in his life when he felt so at a loss.

He had been taught on the battlefield and always believed in meeting challenges head-on. But at this moment, one instant he very much wanted to see her, wanted to make things clear, and the next instant he only wanted to be a deserter.

Hesitating and struggling like this, he gritted his teeth and turned to leave the palace, but facing him he saw two figures approaching from not far away.

It was Su Jin and Tan Zhaolin.

The wind was light and the clouds clear that day. By dusk, the distant sky was filled with fiery sunset glow.

Su Jin approached with lowered eyes, knelt and presented the Nine Dragon Dagger: “Your Highness, this subject did not know this dagger was an imperial gift. I am ashamed to accept it. I hope Your Highness will take it back.”

The trace of faint red on her cheeks had not faded. Her refined and elegant features were reflected in the blazing sunset glow—though not an absolute beauty, she was nevertheless captivating.

Zhu Nanxian’s heart pounded like thunder. After a moment he said: “Rise first.”

Su Jin hesitated, then stood up together with Tan Zhaolin.

Zhu Nanxian raised his hand and, as in that early summer a year ago, gently pushed the dagger back, his gaze moving to the side: “Since I have already given it to you, there is absolutely no reason to take it back.”

Su Jin heard the insistence in his tone, pressed her lips together and said: “But…”

However, before she could get to the “but,” Tan Zhaolin on the side said: “Your Highness, how can this work? If you give the dagger to our lord, what will you give when you marry a princess consort in the future?”

Zhu Nanxian’s movements froze. He turned his head and looked at him speechlessly.

Tan Zhaolin scratched his head. Seeing he seemed not to understand, he explained: “What I mean is, Your Highness, look—the Crown Prince gave his dagger to the Crown Princess. What does this mean? It means this dagger is used for giving to a wife. Our lord won’t be marrying a wife in the future. If you bestow the dagger on her, to whom will she give it? Furthermore—”

“Tan Zhaolin!” Zhu Nanxian finally couldn’t bear it and shouted angrily.

Hearing this, Tan Zhaolin jerked and immediately knelt down, yet still looked around bewildered, scratching his head: “What? Did I say something wrong?”

Zhu Nanxian kicked a short post, bent down and said through gritted teeth: “You don’t need to follow Censor Su anymore. Tomorrow I’ll inform Zuo Qian and have you roll back to the Military Command.”

Hearing these words, Tan Zhaolin said in shock: “I won’t. I want to follow Lord Su!”

Zhu Nanxian raised his eyebrows.

Tan Zhaolin said: “I’ve figured it out—with my bear brain, if I don’t follow Lord Su, every few days I’d die inexplicably once.” Then he turned to look at Su Jin and grinned: “My lord, isn’t that right?”

Su Jin didn’t answer this. The dagger was still in her hand—returning it wasn’t right, not returning it also wasn’t right.

Tan Zhaolin, fearing that Zhu Nanxian would threaten to cut off his legs like last time, urged: “My lord, it’s getting late. Should we hurry home to feed the bird?”

Who would have known that hearing these words, Su Jin’s hand gripping the dagger suddenly tightened. Her eyes looked as if startled rain had fallen into them, and she seemed somewhat at a loss as she glanced at Tan Zhaolin.

Zhu Nanxian seemed to realize something. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and he asked softly: “Bird?”

Tan Zhaolin said matter-of-factly: “My lord somehow obtained a fist-sized young bird. She treasures it so much.”

Zhu Nanxian was stunned. He turned to look at Su Jin. Deep in his eyes appeared lakes and mountains as he said softly: “Is it A’Fu?”

It was as if sunlight shone into the startled rain in Su Jin’s eyes, placing clear moon and gentle wind within her reach.

Tan Zhaolin said: “How did Your Highness know? I’m telling you, I’ve followed my lord for over a year, and she’s looked at me fewer times than she’s looked at that bird. She even ordered me to…”

“Tan Zhaolin.” Su Jin finally couldn’t bear it either. Taking a breath, she said: “Go guard the carriage.”

Tan Zhaolin scratched his head one last time. Seeing that Zhu Nanxian didn’t stop him, he inexplicably said “Oh,” got up from the ground, and retreated.

The evening wind blew, and a strand of hair slipped from her hairpin, brushing past Su Jin’s lowered eyelids.

Zhu Nanxian looked at her quietly.

After a moment, he too slowly lowered his eyes. The corner of his mouth moved slightly, then curved into an extremely gentle, barely visible arc.

Yet it was soundless, as if fearing that even the slightest movement would scatter that touch of ambiguous, soft moonlight that had just flowed into his heart.

Such moonlit radiance was a dream he had been unable to reach for many years.

The sunset glow had faded at some point, as if it were but an instant’s matter. Yet Su Jin still stood in place, her complexion even paler than usual. She dared not raise her head nor move, gripping the dagger so tightly with both hands that even her knuckles had turned pale.

As if this were not a dagger but a piece of driftwood in water.

Seeing her helpless appearance, Zhu Nanxian reached out to gently take the dagger from her hands, then opened her palm, placed the dagger on it, and said softly: “You… should go back.”

Su Jin pressed her lips together and responded in a low voice: “Yes.” After slight hesitation, she bowed: “This subject takes leave.”

Su Jin had only walked a few steps when a eunuch came running urgently from the other end of Xuanyuan Terrace. Seeing Zhu Nanxian, he immediately knelt and said: “Thirteenth Prince, this is terrible! The young prince at the Palace Front Garden seems to be possessed by something and won’t stop convulsing.”

The young prince this eunuch spoke of was precisely the son of Zhu Minda and Shen Jing, Imperial Grandson Zhu Lin.

Hearing this, Zhu Nanxian was greatly shaken. He glanced at Su Jin who was looking at the two of them, then turned and strode toward the Palace Front Garden, asking as he went: “Have you summoned the physician?”

The eunuch said: “Already summoned. Seeing that Your Highness was nearby, I came first to report to Your Highness.”

Hearing their conversation, Su Jin felt for some reason that Zhu Lin’s symptoms sounded somewhat familiar. After slight hesitation, she lifted her feet and followed.